The CANART research project is a collaboration between King Christian X´s Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Gråsten, the Hospital of Southern Jutland, the Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, and the Departments of Rheumatology at the Universities of Southern Denmark, Aarhus and Copenhagen. The project is examining the effects and security of medical cannabis in the treatment of chronic pain.
The study is an investigator initiated double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled intervention study of CBD followed by an open label add-on of THC. The study will include 180 patients with either Rheumatoid Arthritis or Ankylosing Spondylitis and will examine how medical cannabis affects pain, sleep quality and cognitive functions (for example attention).
Clinical Associate Professor and rheumatologist at Kong Christian X´s Gigthospital, Oliver Hendricks, is the PI of the project. From the Department of Psychology at the University of Southern Denmark participate professor Kirsten K. Roessler, associate professor Tonny Andersen and research assistant Anders Wieghorst. They will investigate how medical cannabis affects cognitive functions and which role the participant's expatiation plays in effect of cannabis.
The cannabis plant has several hundred identified substances. Delta-9-tetra-hydro-cannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the active ingredients in medical cannabis. THC is the psychoactive ingredient and is responsible for the psychoactive effects. CBD, on the other hand, has no psychoactive effect. Both THC and CBD are a part of the study – in various combinations.
There is some evidence that medical cannabis can have an effect on chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and muscle spasm. This leads to the expectation that cannabis can give some relief on chronic pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis or Ankylosing Spondylitis.
There are still unanswered questions regarding medical cannabis both in general, and for specific patient groups. Besides safety and side effects, we still don't know much about psychological aspects such as placebo effects or implications for cognitive functions.
The first patients will be enrolled in January 2019, and the results are expected to be ready in 2021.
Project managers: Kirsten K. Roessler, Tonny Elmose og Anders Wieghorst.
Project is carried out under InCORE Research Group.