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Pain killer without a high

Nature Medicine volume 11, pages 378–379 (2005)Cite this article

THC acts as a pain reliever in part by engaging a receptor in peripheral tissues, CB2. But exactly where CB2 is and how it operates has been unclear. A new study shows that cannabinoids, acting through CB2 on skin cells, stimulate the local release of endogenous opioids.

Pain alerts us to diseases or tissue damage, but the biological significance of persistent and excessive pain is questionable. Pain needs to be treated as early and as completely as possible1. One of the well-known analgesic compounds is the active constituent of marijuana, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)2.

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Figure 1: CB2 and pain.

Katherine Ris

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiological Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, Mainz, 55099, Germany

    Krisztina Monory & Beat Lutz

Authors
  1. Krisztina Monory
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  2. Beat Lutz
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Monory, K., Lutz, B. Pain killer without a high. Nat Med 11, 378–379 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0405-378

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