Presenting the outputs of the IASP Presidential Task Force on Cannabis and Cannabinoid Analgesia

Abstract

This special issue of PAIN® consists of a series of linked articles that represent a rigorous and extensive appraisal of the basic and clinical science evidence pertaining to the potential analgesic effects and safety of cannabis and cannabinoids. It represents the collated outputs, gathered over a two and a half year effort, of the IASP Presidential Task Force on Cannabis and Cannabinoid Analgesia (IASP Presidential Task Force on Cannabis and Cannabinoid Analgesia membership, list available at: https://www.iasp-pain.org/About/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=7917. We were tasked with conducting a robust and comprehensive interrogation of the preclinical and clinical evidence for analgesic benefit and also for harm. Emphasis was placed on mitigating against the impact of bias by systemically identifying and appraising the available evidence and using the highest quality evidence available. The Task Force then used this knowledge to inform IASP’s position statement that is published concurrently with this edition of PAIN.7 The key message conveyed by the position statement is that although there are substantial preclinical data supporting the hypothesis of cannabinoid analgesia, current uncertainties in the clinical evidence base led the Task Force to conclude that we could not support the general use of cannabis nor cannabinoids and related medicines for analgesic use at this point in time.