dronabinol + opioid analgesics

**dronabinol + opioid analgesics** is a nonproprietary description of a pharmacological combination involving **dronabinol** (synthetic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, a partial agonist at cannabinoid 1 and 2 receptors) and opioid analgesics (such as hydromorphone, oxycodone, or morphine, which are primarily mu-opioid receptor agonists). This combination is under investigation for its potential to provide additive or synergistic analgesic effects in chronic pain, possibly allowing for reduced opioid doses and adverse effects. Available evidence in humans, including clinical and experimental studies, suggests that this combination confers minimal additional analgesic efficacy over opioids alone and is associated with increased adverse event burden, particularly at higher dronabinol doses. Dronabinol acts primarily as a partial agonist at cannabinoid CB1/CB2 receptors, while opioid analgesics act mainly as agonists at the mu-opioid receptor. Mechanistic rationale for the combination is derived from preclinical synergy in nociceptive models, but translation to clinical efficacy remains limited.