A 2026 article reviewed emerging clinical evidence for cannabis-based treatment of chronic low back pain, focusing on a large phase 3 trial of VER-01, a standardized full-spectrum *Cannabis sativa* extract containing THC, CBD, CBG, terpenes, and flavonoids. In the 12-week placebo-controlled phase, patients receiving VER-01 experienced a statistically greater reduction in pain intensity than those receiving placebo. The effect was modest overall, but larger improvements were seen in people with neuropathic pain features and in those with more severe pain.

Patients taking VER-01 also reported improvements in sleep quality, physical function, and their overall impression of change. Longer-term treatment did not show signs of dose escalation, misuse, dependence, or clinically significant withdrawal. However, side effects such as nausea and fatigue were more common with VER-01, and treatment discontinuation was substantially higher than with placebo. The authors emphasized that these risks must be weighed against the relatively modest average reduction in pain.

The authors concluded that standardized cannabis-based medicines may offer another option for chronic low back pain, particularly for patients with a neuropathic component, but they are not without limitations. The study represents an important step toward more evidence-based use of cannabis-derived therapies, while additional research is still needed to determine how these treatments compare with existing pain medications, which patients are most likely to benefit, and their long-term safety.

Source: Demann R, Bonnet U, Juckel G, Kuhn J. *From controversy to clinical evidence: the evolving role of cannabis in pain therapy*. *European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience*. 2026;276:2779–2781. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13481398/