Cannabidiol as a treatment for arthritis and joint pain: an exploratory cross-sectional study

Abstract
Introduction: An estimated 54 million Americans currently sufer from debilitating arthritis. Patients who have
exhausted conservative measures can be subject to chronic pain and resort to symptomatic management with anti infammatories, acetaminophen, and opioids. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has shown
promise in preclinical studies to reduce infammation and pain associated with arthritis. The purpose of this study was
to explore patient perceived efects of cannabidiol on symptoms of arthritis.
Methods: A novel anonymous questionnaire was created to evaluate perceived efcacy of cannabidiol for the treat ment of arthritis. A self-selected convenience sample (N=428) was recruited through online methods including social
media accounts and newsletters (The Arthritis Foundation and Savvy Cooperative) between May 5, 2020, and Novem ber 5, 2020. Statistical analysis was performed to determine diferences between types of arthritis and improvements
in quality-of-life symptoms. Furthermore, a regression analysis was performed to identify variables associated with
decreasing or discontinuing other medications.
Results: CBD use was associated with improvements in pain (83%), physical function (66%), and sleep quality (66%).
Subgroup analysis by diagnosis type (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, or other autoimmune arthritis) found improvements
among groups for physical function (P=0.013), favoring the osteoarthritis group. The overall cohort reported a 44%
reduction in pain after CBD use (P<0.001). The osteoarthritis group had a greater percentage reduction (P=0.020) and
point reduction (P<0.001) in pain compared to rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune arthritis. The majority
of respondents reported a reduction or cessation of other medications after CBD use (N=259, 60.5%): reductions in
anti-infammatories (N=129, 31.1%), acetaminophen (N=78, 18.2%), opioids (N=36, 8.6%) and discontinuation of anti infammatories (N=76, 17.8%), acetaminophen (N=76, 17.8%), and opioids (N=81, 18.9%)