Daily pain intensity during the cannabidiol (CBD) and placebo treatment periods. Credit: eClinicalMedicine (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.103986
A new study by researchers at the University of Sydney has shown that taking cannabidiol (CBD) can significantly reduce chronic neuropathic pain in those suffering from it. The findings of the randomized placebo-controlled trial, published in eClinicalMedicine, demonstrated that taking CBD over a six-week period reduced pain by approximately 14%, compared to 6.5% from the placebo.
CBD is a substance derived from the cannabis plant. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol or "THC" it does not cause a high. In Australia, CBD is a prescription-only medication that is currently used to treat conditions such as drug-resistant epilepsy.
Lead author Dr Rebecca Robertson, from the Brain and Mind Center, said the results of the study were beyond what she expected. "Chronic neuropathic pain is notoriously hard to treat, with traditional therapies ineffective in about 50% of cases. To see such strong results in the trial is significant and suggests there is real potential for CBD to be used to help manage chronic neuropathic pain."
While the researchers found that pain was reduced on average by 14%, some trial participants reported a greater than 30% reduction in nerve pain when taking CBD. In addition to the pain reduction reported by the trial participants, CBD was well tolerated at high doses with few serious side effects.
