In post-surgical patients, does use of CBD oil compared to a placebo decrease opioid use?

Abstract

Context: The use of opioids for post-anesthesia pain control following surgery is effective, but is also associated with negative outcomes. In post-surgical patients, does use of CBD oil compared to a placebo decrease opioid use? Methods: A search of PubMed was conducted in June of 2023 using the Boolean phrases: Cannabis OR Cannabidiol OR CBD oil; Opioid consumption OR opioid usage; Post-surgical OR surgery OR surgical. Included articles were randomized control trials comparing CBD oil to a placebo and opioid usage was tracked post-surgery, and were published after 2020. Opioid use following surgery was measured in morphine milligram equivalents (MME) or as a percentage of patients using rescue narcotics. Means, standard deviations, and p-values were presented for up to two weeks post-surgery. Results: Three articles were screened. Alaia et al. and Narang et al. scored 9/10, and Haffar et al. article scored an 8/10 on the PEDro scale. All three studies were high quality double-blind randomized control trials that provided evidence indicating that CBD oil administered post-surgery does not result in reduced opioid consumption by patients. Conclusion: Based on the results of this CAT, clinicians should not use CBD oil when the goal is to help reduce opioid consumption post-surgery.