For millions of people living with chronic pain, relief can seem elusive. From injuries to diseases like arthritis and fibromyalgia, chronic pain is defined by discomfort lasting more than three to six months—far beyond a typical recovery period.
As patients search for alternatives to traditional treatments, many are turning to cannabis—and sometimes combining with tobacco—for pain relief. Duke University School of Medicine research relying on national data reveals historically high levels of cannabis use and co-use with tobacco among various age groups from Gen X, ages 18-25, to those over age 50.
However, emerging research suggests that substance use may come with unexpected consequences, including the potential to increase sensitivity to pain.
In recent years, research into the complex relationships between chronic pain, substance use, and addiction has revealed a web of interconnected factors.
A major study led by medical student and clinical researcher Dana Rubenstein, MHS, and F. Joseph McClernon, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke, examined a bidirectional relationship between cannabis and tobacco use and pain, in which pain can drive substance use, and substance use can worsen pain, a phenomenon long observed in cigarettes, now extended to include cannabis.