• Nerve-related pain (burning, shooting, tingling): Moderate. THC-containing products give small to modest relief . A 2026 Cochrane review found they rarely cut pain in half.

• Chronic low back pain: Moderate. In a 2025 trial of 820 adults, a standardized oral THC extract (VER-01) reduced pain more than placebo. 54% got at least 30% relief versus 40% on placebo, and sleep and function improved. The drug is approved in Germany and Austria; US dispensary products are not the same.

• Pain from swallowed CBD alone: Not established. Reviews find low- THC products may not improve pain.

• Localized pain with topical CBD: Limited. Small positive trials in thumb arthritis and foot nerve pain.

Compared with standard treatment: In a 2024 review of 90 trials, cannabis medicines and opioids gave similarly small improvements in pain, function, and sleep. Fewer people stopped cannabis because of side effects.

Good to know: Expect less pain and better function, not zero pain. Dizziness, sleepiness, and nausea are common early on and often fade within days. T rack pain, sleep, and activity to see if it is working.

What to ask for: A THC-containing product, either balanced 1:1 or THC-dominant, taken by mouth in the evening. The back-pain trial used a THC-dominant full-spectrum oil. Add an inhaled product only for breakthrough pain. CBD-only oils are unlikely to help pain.