And this time it is cannabis!!
A few weeks ago, I wrote about a new drug that was approved by the FDA for pain. It was very exciting news because we haven't had a drug approved for pain in a long time, and we are still too reliant on opioids. I explained how the target is really cool and how it works by blocking the pain signal transmission to the brain. If you haven't read it, you should check it out because now everything I wrote about that pharmaceutical may very well be true for some cannabinoids.
Just one week after Journavx was approved, I found out about a study out of Yale to see if CBD, CBN, and CBG are active on the exact same target as the drug that was just approved. What was found is that they are all active, with CBG being the most potent. I’ve written about my experiences and opinions on CBG, and reading this study was so encouraging. We need more research to understand everything going on and what to recommend for various types of pain, but it’s always exciting when research data matches anecdotal evidence.
One thing that is exciting about these cannabinoids and their potential to treat pain is that they also work on CB1 and CB2 receptors, which could add additional pain relief benefits in addition to the pathway blocking the signal to the brain. On top of that, if you combine cannabinoids, including THC, I would expect additional pain relief. It’s just the beginning of everything we are going to find with broader research access to the cannabis plant.
Another thing that's exciting about this type of data on cannabinoids is that you don't have to worry about risks the same way you do with pharmaceutical compounds. Pharmaceuticals are new; we haven't tested them in cells or bodies before, so we have to start from scratch. Cannabis and cannabinoids have been consumed by humans for a very long time. If you aren't familiar with the history, check out JM Balbuena's book, Green Renaissance. It's got lots of good history and science too!
What a start to 2025 with good news on treatments for pain! It's an area that is hard to study, hard to treat, and hard to demonstrate effectiveness. It's an area that often comes with a lot of side effects and also addiction potential. Now we have a new pharmaceutical with others behind it, plus plant medicine potential. We could soon have several new tools for our pain relief tool belt.
Dr. Benjamin Caplan wrote a really interesting article on this topic. Much better than this one, so check it out!
