New Study Finds Cannabinoids May Offer A Safer Pain Relief Option Without Addiction Risks

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A recently published study sought to explore nonaddictive and safe treatment options for health conditions, such as chronic pain (1). Yale researchers utilized nonpsychotomimetic cannabinoids to hopefully find an alternative option for chronic pain sufferers that wouldn’t come with addictive properties.

The researchers found that the cannabinoids; cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannabinol (CBN), restrained Nav1.8, a key protein that is implicated in transmitting pain in the peripheral nervous system (1,2). These cannabinoids helped decrease the activity of the Nav1.8 protein without causing addictive qualities.

“These findings open new avenues for the development of cannabinoid-based therapies,” Mohammad-Reza Ghovanloo, lead author of the study and an associate research scientist in the Department of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine, commented (2). “Our results show that CBG in particular has the strongest potential to provide effective pain relief without the risks associated with traditional treatments.”

Often seen with pain medications such as, opioids, they can often lead users to become addicted to the medication. The United States has been battling an opioid epidemic, where more than 80,000 people die every year from opioid overdoses (2). Ghovanloo mentioned that (2), “Cannabinoids may also yield more effective pain management than other opioid alternatives.”

The study explained how, “The cannabinoids highlighted in the study interact with a protein found in the cell membrane of sensory neurons in the spine. The protein, called Nav1.8, enables repetitive firing of those neurons, which is a key process in transmitting pain signals. Blocking Nav1.8, and thereby muting its activity, has shown promise in reducing pain in recent clinical studies,” (2).

To gain their data researchers analyzed electrical currents in sensory neurons of rodents and examined how the cannabinoids, CBD, CBG, and CBN would affect the current once they were implemented (2). Researchers found that all three of these cannabinoids worked to decrease the intensification of electrical currents connected to the Nav1.8 protein. Data from the study showcased that the cannabinoid, CBG produced a stronger outcome.

“This research builds on the growing interest in the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids, highlighting their role in addressing chronic pain conditions such as neuropathic pain, arthritis, and inflammatory disorders,” Dr. Stephen G. Waxman, senior author of the study and the Bridget M. Flaherty Professor of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine said (2). “By focusing on Nav1.8 as a therapeutic target, the study paves the way for the development of innovative, cannabinoid-based pain treatments.”

References

1. M. Ghovanloo, S. Tyagi, P. Zhao, S.G. Waxman, Nav1.8, an analgesic target for nonpsychotomimetic phytocannabinoids, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2025, 122 (4) e2416886122, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2416886122 (2025).
2. Cannabis compounds show promise for chronic pain relief without high https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/cannabis-compounds-show-promise-for-chronic-pain-relief-without-high-395561 (accessed Jan 31, 2025).