A study published today by The Journal of Pain found that cannabidiol (CBD) enhanced the pain-relieving effects of oxycodone without increasing reward-related effects tied to the opioid.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Florida and Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, examined whether CBD could increase the antinociceptive effects of oxycodone while avoiding an increase in abuse-relevant behavioral effects.
Using male and female Sprague-Dawley rats, researchers tested CBD at doses of 3.2 mg/kg and 10.0 mg/kg alongside oxycodone at 0.56 mg/kg. The team used an operant facial pain assay, locomotor activity monitoring and a conditioned place preference paradigm to assess pain-related responses, movement behavior and reward-related effects.
Researchers found that CBD enhanced oxycodone’s antinociceptive effect, meaning it increased the opioid’s pain-relieving impact under the conditions tested. However, CBD did not affect oxycodone-induced rearing behavior, nor did it alter the acquisition or expression of oxycodone conditioned place preference.
“Together, these findings suggest that cannabidiol potentiates the analgesic effects of oxycodone without affecting its reward-related properties,” researchers wrote.
The findings add to a growing body of preclinical research examining whether CBD may have opioid-sparing properties. Opioids remain widely used for moderate to severe pain, but their side effects, tolerance and misuse risks have led researchers to explore adjunct therapies that could maintain pain relief while reducing opioid exposure.
Researchers said the results support further study of CBD as a potential adjunctive, opioid-sparing agent in pain management.
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