Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Pain is a the most common reason people seek health care, and many North Americans live with chronic pain. Opioids used in the treatment of pain can be harmful when misused creating a need for safer treatments. Medical cannabis is often used to relieve pain, and there's evidence that certain compounds in cannabis, called terpenes, may play a role in this. Terpenes are safe and have potential for medical use. One terpene in cannabis, ß-caryophyllene (BCP), has been shown to reduce pain in animals, but we do not fully understand how it works and have not tested it in people. Our research has two main goals: 1) determine if BCP can reduce pain in men and women, and 2) understand how BCP affects pain in mice. We will give different dosages of BCP or placebo in a controlled setting in humans and measure intoxication, abuse risk, pharmacology, pain perception, and general mood. We will also use regular and genetically modified mice to examine similar outcomes, as well as use special neural sensors to determine BCP's mechanism of action. This research will help us understand not only whether BCP can be used to manage pain but also how it is involved in pain management. Ultimately, this work may lead to new and improved ways to help people living with pain as we determine efficacy and safety in both preclinical and clinical studies.