CBD put to the test for lower-back pain

Heard that CBD—aka cannabidiol, the non-intoxicating component of marijuana—relieves pain?

Australian researchers randomly assigned 100 people who came to a hospital emergency department because of lower-back pain to take either a single (400-milligram) dose of CBD or a placebo.

After two hours, there was no difference in reported pain. Nor was there a difference in the use of oxycodone to treat the pain after four hours or in the length of stay in the ER.

What to do

So far, there’s no solid evidence that CBD can relieve pain. The FDA has approved only one CBD product, a prescription drug to treat certain seizures.

Med. J. Aust. 214: 360, 370, 2021.