Combining Cannabinoid With Opioid Does Not Relieve Pain in Knee Osteoarthritis

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By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, Senior Medical Editor, B. Pharm. Last updated on April 27, 2026.

via HealthDay

MONDAY, April 27, 2026 -- For patients with knee osteoarthritis, combining a cannabinoid medication with an opioid does not provide additional pain relief, according to a study published in the May issue of Anesthesiology.

Katrina R. Hamilton, Ph.D., from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues examined the acute analgesic and drug effects of synthetic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and hydromorphone, alone and in combination, in 21 individuals with knee osteoarthritis (mean age, 63.4 years). Participants received oral combinations of placebo, hydromorphone (2 mg), and dronabinol (10 mg).

The researchers found greater pressure pain threshold analgesia for hydromorphone than dronabinol and greater capsaicin and noncapsaicin sensitized mechanical temporal summation analgesia versus placebo. No significant drug-related differences were seen for clinical pain severity, thermal threshold or tolerance, temporal summation, cold pressor, conditioned pain modulation, capsaicin-induced thermal threshold, central sensitization, general pain sensitivity, or physical functioning (two-minute walking distance, Timed Up and Go, and total stair climb time). Compared with all conditions, hydromorphone impaired working memory accuracy and produced greater good effects than placebo in terms of secondary outcomes. Working memory reaction time was impaired with hydromorphone + dronabinol, which produced greater high ratings than placebo, greater drug effects than placebo + hydromorphone, and higher nausea than hydromorphone. Greater high ratings were seen for dronabinol than hydromorphone.

"Some patients believe combining cannabis with opioids can help with pain, and clinicians may recommend or prescribe it in states where cannabis is legal," Hamilton said in a statement. "Our study suggests that isn't the case and patients may experience more side effects when the drugs are combined."

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-04-28 09:34

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