By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Medical cannabis improved symptoms in 9 out of 10 chronic pain patients taking oral formulations of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), according to a large new study in Colombia.

The observational study, the largest of its kind in Latin America, is the first clinical peer-reviewed evidence on the effectiveness and safety of cannabis products made by Khiron Life Sciences. Over 2,100 patients with a variety of chronic pain conditions self-reported their symptoms after taking CBD and THC oil-based formulations at a Khiron clinic in Bogota.

The findings are published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Pain Research.

"We believe these findings to be generalizable across patient populations, considering that our results are extremely well-aligned with those reported by researchers working with similar clinical populations in nations with long-standing medicinal cannabis access programs, such as Israel and Canada," lead author Guillermo Moreno-Sanz, Global Scientific Director of Khiron Life Sciences, said in a press release.

While most previous studies only looked at the short-term effects of cannabis ingested through a variety of different methods, this study focused on the safety and efficacy of cannabis oils for up to 26 weeks. Most participants were female, with an average age of 59 years.

Patients received cannabis oils composed primarily of CBD (30mg CBD/2mg THC) or a more balanced formulation (14mg CBD/12mg THC). 

Key findings in the study include:

• 92.5% of patients reported some degree of improvement in their chronic pain.

• 75% reported moderate or robust reduction in chronic pain

• 72% reported no adverse side effects

The degree of improvement was similar between both formulations, although males reported less effectiveness in the first 4 weeks of treatment.

Most side effects were mild, such as somnolence (13%), dizziness (8%) and dry mouth (4%), and faded away after 12 weeks of treatment. No serious adverse events requiring hospitalization or medical intervention were reported.

"This study, based on Khiron's medical products, is critical to reassure physicians and health insurance providers of the efficacy of medicinal cannabis to treat chronic pain. The global impact and economic burden of chronic pain in our society, mounting medical evidence will increase access to cannabinoid-based medicines worldwide." says Alvaro Torres, Khiron CEO and Director.

Khiron Life Sciences is a medical cannabis company based in Colombia. Its products are sold in Colombia, Peru, Germany, UK and Brazil, and will soon be available in Mexico.

Recent studies have also found cannabis oil effective in treating fibromyalgia and migraine.