Intervention description {11a}
pain
Patients are treated for 6 weeks and randomized to receive one of three treatments:Group Oxycodone will receive oxycodone sustained release (SR) 5 mg tablets. In week 1, the patients may dose themselves to a maximum of 2 times 5 mg oxycodone per 24 h. From week 2 on, the patient may increase the dose to a maximum of 4 doses of 5 mg oxycodone if deemed necessary by the patient to subdue their pain.Group Cannabis will receive Bediol® 150 mg by inhalation. In week 1, the patients are allowed up to 3 doses per 24 h, the remaining 5 weeks, they are allowed up to 5 inhalations per 24 h.Group Cannabis/Oxycodone will receive oxycodone sustained release (SR) tablet (in week 1, the dose is fixed to a maximum of 2 doses of 5 mg oxycodone per 24 h; from week 2 on the patient may increase the dose to a maximum of 4 doses of 5 mg oxycodone) and inhale Bediol® 150 mg (in week 1, just three inhalation sessions are allowed; in weeks 2–6, up to five inhalation sessions in 24 h are allowed).The 150 mg cannabis flower of the Bediol® variety is placed in a small capsule (pre-packaged by the local university pharmacy) that is placed in a hand-held vaporizer (Mighty Medic vaporizer; Storz & Bickel GmbH & Co, Tuttlingen, Germany). The vaporizer heats the raw material to decarboxylate THC acid and CBD acid into their active forms (THC and CBD, respectively), vaporize the flower, and subsequently cool the vapor so that the cannabis is safely inhaled.