Low Dose Combination of Morphine and D9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Circumvents Antinociceptive Tolerance and Apparent Desensitization of Receptors
Paul A. Smith et al., "Low dose combination of morphine and ?9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol circumvents antinociceptive tolerance and apparent desensitization of receptors," European Journal of Pharmacology 571, issues 2-3 (October 2007): 129-137.
Both morphine and marijuana can be used to treat chronic pain, but both (especially morphine) can lead to tolerance, with patients needing more and more of the drug to get the desired relief and increasing the chances of morphine dependence. Intriguingly, in this animal trial, when low doses of morphine and THC were given simultaneously, tolerance did not develop and the low doses remained effective. This suggests that marijuana and/or THC might allow effective pain relief with reduced doses of highly addictive narcotics, with less risk of patients developing tolerance.
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