Two major clinical trials are giving patients and healthcare professionals new reasons to study cannabis-derived medicine for chronic lower back pain.
Why this research matters
Patients have long described their experiences with medical cannabis and chronic pain. In 2025, two Phase 3 clinical trials examined VER-01, a standardized full-spectrum cannabis-derived extract, providing new evidence worth examining carefully.
What is VER-01?
VER-01 is an investigational medicine made from a standardized extract of Cannabis sativa DKJ127. These results concern this particular formulation and cannot automatically be applied to all cannabis flower or oils.
A placebo-controlled study of 820 adults
A randomized trial published in Nature Medicine studied 820 adults with chronic lower back pain. During the first 12 weeks, VER-01 provided a modest but statistically significant improvement in pain compared with placebo. Researchers also examined sleep and physical function. Some participants experienced adverse effects, including dizziness and nausea.
Comparison with opioids
A separate Phase 3 randomized study involving 384 participants compared VER-01 with opioid medications. The researchers reported improvements in pain and sleep and less constipation among patients receiving VER-01. However, differences were not equally strong at every assessment, and the trial does not establish that cannabis products generally outperform opioids.
What was actually tested?
Researchers enrolled 820 adults with chronic lower back pain in a Phase 3 clinical trial. Phase 3 means a treatment is being studied in a relatively large group to assess both benefit and safety. During the first 12 weeks, 394 participants received VER-01, a carefully standardized cannabis-derived extract, and 426 received a placebo. The comparison was double-blind: neither patients nor researchers knew which group a participant belonged to. This matters because pain levels can change even without an active treatment.
What did patients experience?
On a scale from zero to ten, average pain decreased by about 1.9 points in the VER-01 group and 1.4 points in the placebo group. After adjustment, the difference was approximately 0.6 points. That is a modest average difference, not a cure. But more patients on VER-01 experienced a substantial improvement.
For every 100 people taking VER-01, about 54 had at least 30% less pain, compared with about 40 of every 100 on placebo. Around 32 of every 100 had their pain reduced by half, compared with about 23 of every 100 on placebo. These numbers show that some people benefited more, while others saw little change.
Why sleep and movement matter
Anyone living with persistent back pain knows that pain can interfere with much more than lifting something heavy. It can interrupt sleep, make sitting uncomfortable, and turn simple activities into hard work. The trial also reported improvements in measures of sleep and physical function, and some nerve-related pain symptoms. Those results are encouraging because patients want to do more than lower a number on a pain chart: they want to get through their days.
What about side effects?
We should look at the difficult findings too. Side effects were reported by 83.3% of patients receiving VER-01 versus 67.3% on placebo. Common problems included dizziness and nausea. About 17.3% of VER-01 patients stopped treatment because of adverse effects, compared with 3.5% of placebo patients. A medicine that helps one patient may not be tolerable for another.
Does this mean any cannabis product will work?
No. VER-01 is a specific investigational extract made to a consistent standard. The trial cannot tell us that every cannabis strain, edible, CBD oil or smoked product will give the same results. It also does not show that patients should replace their existing medicines without medical advice. In particular, anyone taking opioids should never abruptly stop or change doses based on an article or headline.
What I take away from the research
I find it encouraging that researchers are examining cannabis-derived medicine in large, controlled trials rather than relying only on stories or assumptions. The findings are promising for some people with chronic back pain, but the average improvement was limited and side effects were significant. Both sides of the story matter. For patients, the best use of this information is to have a better-informed conversation with their healthcare team.
Original research: Read the Phase 3 VER-01 chronic lower back pain trial in Nature Medicine.
What patients should know
Chronic pain affects mobility, sleep, independence and quality of life. These trials show why standardized cannabis-derived medicines deserve continued rigorous investigation. They do not show that cannabis is a miracle cure or free from side effects, interactions or dependence risks. Patients should never abruptly stop prescribed opioids based on these findings; treatment changes require medical supervision.
Our perspective
At Paradise Compassion Club, we believe patients deserve compassion, informed choices and credible medical information. Research like this adds meaningful evidence to the conversation while reminding us that careful science—not exaggerated promises—is the way forward.
Paradise Compassion Club
Quality • Care • Community
Scientific sources
- Full-spectrum extract from Cannabis sativa DKJ127 for chronic low back pain: a phase 3 randomized placebo-controlled trial. Nature Medicine (2025).
- VER-01 Shows Enhanced Gastrointestinal Tolerability, Superior Pain Relief, and Improved Sleep Quality Compared to Opioids in Treating Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Phase 3 Clinical Trial. Pain and Therapy (2025).
Educational information only, not medical advice.