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CompletedNCT00781001Updated Jul 30, 2013

Efficacy of Inhaled Cannabis in Diabetic Painful Peripheral Neuropathy

A Phase 1/2 interventional study of Cannabis in Painful Diabetic Neuropathy, sponsored by Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2013-07-30.

Sponsored by Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 1/2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
17
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if vaporized cannabis is effective as an analgesic for the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy.

Read the detailed description

Neuropathic pain is caused by an insult to the nervous system and accounts for 25-50% of all pain clinic visits. Excluding low back pain, diabetic peripheral neuropathy is the most common neuropathic pain syndrome with an estimated prevalence of 600,000 cases in the United States. There are only 5 medications approved by the FDA for the treatment of neuropathic pain with only 2 out of the 5 approved for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Currently, there is a desperate need for more therapeutic agents for the treatment of neuropathic pain. We propose to use painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) patients to study the efficacy of inhaled cannabis on neuropathic pain. We will enroll 20 subjects with each subject acting as their own control; receiving both placebo and three doses of inhaled aerosolized cannabis (low, medium, and high) in random order each separated by at least two weeks. Subjects will be assessed for reduction in pain, changes in normal sensation, changes in cognition, and effects of cannabis on experimentally induced pain.

02

Conditions studied

  • Painful Diabetic Neuropathy

Keywords

  • neuropathic pain
  • diabetic neuropathy
  • cannabis
  • marijuana
03

In context

Peripheral Nervous System Diseases

1,003 studies on the registry are indexed under Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; 177 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 17 is below the median of 60 across 768 interventional studies indexed under Peripheral Nervous System Diseases.

Browse Peripheral Nervous System Diseases studies →

Lead sponsor

Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research is the lead sponsor of 9 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Willing and able to provide informed consent
  • History of diabetes mellitus type 1 or type 2 who have stable glycemia and are maintained by diet or a stable regimen of diabetic therapy for at least 12 weeks prior to screening
  • Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy for at least 6 months prior to screening with symmetrical onset confirmed by neurological exam and a score of at least 3 on the investigator section (physical exam) of the MNSI (Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument) at screening.
  • Subject has a pain rating of at least 4 on the 11 point Numeric Pain Scale.
  • Patient is acceptable for enrollment as determined by the Investigator from the medical history, physical exam finding, 12 lead ECG findings, and clinical laboratory test results.
  • HbA1C\<11%.
  • For female patients, a negative urine pregnancy test

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Active opportunistic infections or opportunistic malignancies requiring acute treatment
  • Current or past cannabis abuse/dependence, or current other psychoactive drug use disorder (e.g. opioids, methamphetamine, cocaine, alcohol)
  • Presence of significant cardiac or pulmonary disease (e.g., tuberculosis, asthma)
  • Pregnancy as ascertained by a self-report and a mandatory commercial pregnancy test before any marijuana or placebo consumption condition.
  • Current serious mental illness--e.g. bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or other psychotic disorder
  • Other medical conditions that may lead to peripheral neuropathy
  • Females who are pregnant or planning pregnancy.
  • Females of child bearing potential not using a reliable means of birth control.
  • Lower extremity amputations other than toes. Patients must not have phantom pain from amputated toes.
  • Other painful conditions or pain of vascular origin that may confound the assessment of PDN.
  • Subjects with unstable blood glucose level (Fasting\< 70mg/dL or random blood glucose level > 250 mg/dL)
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1 / Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
17 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Placebo comparator
    1

    Placebo cannabis

    Drug: Cannabis

  • Experimental
    2

    Active cannabis - 1% THC by weight

    Drug: Cannabis

  • Experimental
    3

    Active cannabis - 4% THC by weight

    Drug: Cannabis

  • Experimental
    4

    Active cannabis - 7% THC by weight

    Drug: Cannabis

Interventions

  • DrugCannabis

    400mg placebo or active cannabis administered via the Volcano vaporizer 1x per study visit

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Spontaneous Pain Score

    Time frame: Baseline, 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240 mins post-treatment

Secondary outcomes

  1. Acute sensory threshold

    Time frame: Baseline, 5, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240 mins post-treatment

  2. Experimental pain score

    Time frame: Baseline, 5, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240 mins post-treatment

  3. Cognitive testing

    Time frame: Baseline, 60, 120, 240 mins post-treatment

  4. Subjective highness

    Time frame: Baseline, 30, 60, 90, 120, 240 mins post-treatment

  5. Adverse events

    Time frame: Throughout the study

07

Study locations

1 site
  • UC San Diego, Hillcrest Medical Center
    San Diego, California 92103, United States
08

References and documents

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 30, 2013, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00781001
Lead sponsor
Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Oct 28, 2008
Start date
Jul 2008
Primary completion
Jun 2011
Completion
Jun 2011
Last update
Jul 30, 2013

Study contacts

Mark S Wallace, M.D.
principal investigator · University of California, San Diego

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2013. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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