By: Rachael Rettner, MyHealthNewsDaily Senior Writer
Published: 04/22/2013 12:13 PM EDT on MyHealthNewsDaily
A pill form of marijuana may work just as well to relieve pain as the smoked form, but with fewer side effects, new research suggests.
In the study, people who either smoked marijuana or took the drug dronabinol -- a pill that contains the active ingredient of marijuana -- were able to hold their hands in a bath of ice water (showing that they could tolerate the pain of the cold temperature) for longer than participants who took a placebo.
What's more, the pain-reducing effect of dronabinol lasted longer than that of smoking marijuana, the researchers said. While smoking the drug decreased pain sensitivity for about 2.5, the pill continued to have pain-reducing effects for about 4.5 hours. However, analgesic effects of the pill took about an hour to kick in, compared with about 15 minutes for smoking marijuana.
Medical marijuana is legal in 18 states, and studies have suggested that smoking the drug relieves pain. For instance, a 2010 study found that smoking marijuana eased pain from nerve injuries.
However, "smoking anything presents certain health risks," said study researcher Ziva Cooper, an assistant professor of clinical neurobiology at Columbia University's Department of Psychiatry. Substances in the smoke can reduce lung function or increase the risk of cancer.
The new findings suggest a marijuana pill "can produce analgesic effects for longer without the health risks that come along with smoking," Cooper said.
Study participants were also less likely to say that they found the effects of dronabinol pleasurable, compared with people who smoke marijuana, indicating that the pill has less potential for abuse, Cooper said.
However, more research is needed to confirm the results. Because the study involved healthy people, it's not clear if individuals who suffer from a condition such as chronic pain would experience the same effect from the pill. (But Cooper noted that, in the past, drugs that worked in early studies to reduce the pain of an ice bath ended were indeed later shown to relieve chronic pain.)
In addition, the study involved regular marijuana users (who smoked the drug daily), so it's not clear if the results would apply to people who don't regularly consume marijuana. The study was also small, with just 30 people.
The research provides "additional evidence to suggest that both marijuana and dronabinol can be somewhat effective in reliving pain," said Dr. John Roberts, an oncologist at the Yale School of Medicine who has studied the effects of marijuana's active ingredient on pain, and was not involved in the new study.
Roberts said there might be a role for each form of the drug in pain relief, depending on the users' preferences. For instance, some people with a pain condition may say that they prefer smoking marijuana because it both reduces their pain and gives them a high. However, the issue of whether to allow patients to use potentially addictive drugs (ones they find pleasurable) is a question for public policy, Roberts said. [5 Surprising Facts About Pain]
The new study is published today (April 22) in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Pass it on: A pill form of marijuana reduces pain for a longer time period than does smoking the drug, a new study suggests.
Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND,Facebook & Google+. Originally published on MyHealthNewsDaily.
Copyright 2013 MyHealthNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.