New clinical trial shows cannabis-based oil improved chronic low back pain – CBC

‘This is what we’ve been waiting for,’ says Canadian pain specialist

Sep 30, 2025

An experimental cannabis extract reduced low back pain in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Europe, and Canadian doctors say it’s the type of well-designed study they’ll need to guide patients seeking safer medication options.

In Monday’s issue of the journal Nature Medicine, a clinical trial of 820 adults with chronic low back pain showed a cannabis extract in sesame oil called VER-01 offered more relief of pain intensity compared to those who received a placebo.

Low back pain is a common ailment, often stemming from muscle and joint injuries resulting from lifting and twisting. When the pain lasts for more than three months, doctors consider it chronic.

Chronic back pain is treated with a combination of education, medication and rehabilitation like physiotherapy exercises, pain clinicians say.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/back-pain-cannabis-1.7647042