Marijuana shows promise in treating sickle cell anemia

Exact projections are not yet known, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that between 70,000 and 100,000 Americans have sickle cell anemia. The disease leads to a lack of red blood cells and blocks blood flow to the body. This can lead to chronic pain in patients who are typically prescribed opioids, despite possible side effects such as addiction, constipation, and respiratory depression.

But a new study published in JAMA Network Open concludes that cannabis could provide an alternative or complementary treatment for sickle cell patients. The study, led by UC Irvine researcher Kalpna Gupta and Dr. Study co-led by Donald Abrams of UC San Francisco represents the first double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial to evaluate marijuana as a potential pain relief for sickle cell anemia.

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“These trial results show that vaporized cannabis appears to be generally safe,” Gupta said. “They also suggest that sickle cell patients may be able to relieve their pain with cannabis – and that cannabis could help society address the opioid-related health crisis.”

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The study involved 23 participants with pain related to sickle cell anemia. They inhaled either a cannabis vaporizer with equal parts THC and CBD or a placebo over two five-day inpatient sessions. The researchers then recorded how the pain continued to affect the participants’ general activities, sleep patterns, walking, and overall mood.

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Those who inhaled cannabis reported an overall improvement in pain, with the plant’s potency increasing over time. The test subjects reported less and less annoying pain when walking and sleeping and their mood also improved. However, Gupta noted that the difference between the cannabis group and the placebo group when measuring pain was not statistically significant. But based on the results she saw, Gupta still pushed for further research.

“Pain causes many people to turn to cannabis and, in fact, is the most common reason people purchase cannabis from pharmacies,” Gupta said. “We do not know whether all forms of cannabis products have a similar effect on chronic pain. Vaporized cannabis, which is what we used, may be safer than other forms because smaller amounts enter the systemic circulation. This trial opens up the possibility of testing different forms of medical cannabis to treat chronic pain.”