Cannabinoids in the Management of Musculoskeletal Pain

* The purposes of the present scoping review were to identify (1) the available studies regarding the efficacy of cannabinoids for the management of musculoskeletal pain and related conditions and (2) the knowledge gaps and opportunities in this area of research. * There is little high-quality evidence for medical cannabis in the core orthopaedic areas of arthritis, postoperative pain, back pain, and trauma-related pain. * The “best available” evidence suggests cannabis can be effective for managing arthritis pain, back pain, and trauma-related pain, although the quality of the evidence is poor. * Evidence regarding the use of cannabinoids for the management of postoperative pain is mixed. * Research on pain control in patients with arthritis, conditions related to the spine, and traumatic injuries represents major under-represented areas of study for the role of cannabinoids, and high-quality Level-I studies are needed.