Trial of Dronabinol and Vaporized Cannabis in Chronic Low Back Pain

Exclusion Criteria

• •Presence of another painful condition of greater severity than the neuropathic pain condition which is being studied.
• •History of traumatic brain injury. Clinically significant or unstable medical condition. Individuals with significant cardiovascular, hepatic or renal disease, uncontrolled hypertension, and chronic pulmonary disease (eg, asthma, COPD), will be excluded. If warranted clinically, subjects will undergo laboratory evaluation (blood chemistry, electrocardiogram, urinalysis, toxicology screening for confirmation. Females of childbearing potential will undergo pregnancy testing.
• •A positive result on toxicity screening will exclude individuals from participation. A urine drug test that screens for 5 categories of drugs: marijuana (Δ9-THC), cocaine, amphetamines/methamphetamines, opiates, benzodiazepines and phencyclidine (PCP) will be employed. A positive result for opioids and/or THC will not be exclusionary if the patient is receiving a prescription for an opioid and/or THC.
• •Allergy to sesame oil, lactose, or gelatin Vascular disease, especially Raynauld's syndrome, systolic blood pressure \> 170 mm, diastolic blood pressure \> 100 mm Recent injuries to the upper extremity Cognitive impairment, such as Dementia or Alzheimer's Disease Substance Abuse History: The Substance Abuse Module of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-IV will be administered to exclude individuals with current substance use disorders.
• •Pregnancy as ascertained by a mandatory commercial pregnancy test Past history of suicide attempt. Cannabis can exacerbate pre-existing schizophrenia, and has been linked to an increase in the risk of suicide in such patients. In patients with bipolar disorder, cannabis use has been associated with worsening of manic and psychotic symptoms. Such findings suggest that cannabis is contraindicated in individuals with serious mental health issues, a line of reasoning that will be observed in the present study by excluding patients in the bipolar/schizoaffective/schizophrenic spectrum.
• •Suicidality. Exposure to cannabis does not lead to depression but it may be associated with suicidal thoughts and attempts. Therefore, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II will be used to measure suicidal ideation.