Can CBD oil help manage chronic pain?

If you are weighing CBD oil for chronic pain, you are probably weighing its cost too. Settle the evidence question first, because a price only matters once a product has earned a place in your plan.

What the studies found

The answer is possibly, but only for a short time and with side effects. NCCIH describes how these products have been tested. Products containing substances from cannabis (marijuana), which typically include both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), have been tested for their effects on chronic pain in short-term studies.

NCCIH then adds a caution about specific forms. Oral products with high THC/CBD ratios and sublingual (under-the-tongue) products with roughly equal amounts of THC and CBD may reduce chronic pain in the short term but may also have side effects including dizziness and sleepiness.

Short-term use, not a bottle off the shelf

The findings concern products that typically combine THC and CBD, and they come from short-term studies. They are not a verdict on a bottle of CBD oil from a shop, and they give no price.

Before you buy a bottle

Before you buy anything, tell the clinician who treats your pain what you are considering, given the dizziness and sleepiness NCCIH mentions. Ask any seller to state exactly what is in the product and what the price covers. Keep your receipts so you can see what a month actually cost. For the full text, read the MedlinePlus chronic pain page, the NCCIH review of complementary approaches to chronic pain, and Healthline's guide to the causes of chronic pain.

Compare contents before totals

A price tells you little until you know what the product contains. If you shop around Garfield or online, compare contents first and totals second.