Effects of Cannabidiol in Inflammation: A Review of Pre-clinical and Clinical Findings

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the second most abundant component of the plant Cannabis sativa. Currently, CBD is approved for Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndrome and newly for tuberous sclerosis complex. However, based on the available data, CBD migth have a broad spectrum of potential therapeutic uses. Therefore, the aim of this review was to summarize the evidence on the effects of CBD on pain and inflammation of various causes. PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched until January 2023. The medical keyword term “cannabidiol” was combined with “pain”, “arthritis”, and “inflammation”. Based on the initial search for these terms, 9, 5, and 5 relevant publications have been selected. Based on the available data, it is not possible to draw a clear conclusion about the effect of CBD to releave pain, because each study used a different route of administration or treatment regimen. The studies also differed in etiopathogenesis of pain (chronic, neuropathic, and possibly inflammatory pain), and in general included only small number of subjects. In case of anti-inflammatory qualities of CBD, its effect on the intestinal system is negligible. On the other hand, positive treatment results were observed in all publications dealing with the effect of CBD on arthritis.