Scientists Develop Cannabis-Like Painkiller Without the High—Here’s How It Works

VIP36… ever heard of it? It’s the name of a newly developed synthetic compound designed to deliver cannabis-like pain relief without getting you high. 

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and Stanford University developed VIP36 specifically to target pain while avoiding THC’s cognitive effects, and early results in mice look promising.

The study, published in Nature, went viral almost immediately. For millions of people dealing with chronic pain, finding effective relief without the risks of opioid addiction or the intoxicating effects of cannabis has long been a challenge. VIP36 might offer a third path.

• VIP36 is a lab-made compound designed to mimic THC’s pain-relieving effects without producing a high or addiction risk
• The drug targets the same CB1 receptor as THC but can’t cross into the brain due to its positive electrical charge
• VIP36 fits into a hidden pocket of the CB1 receptor, triggering pain relief while avoiding cognitive side effects like euphoria, impaired judgment, and mood changes
• Results are currently limited to mice, no human trials have been conducted yet
• The compound could benefit chronic pain patients who want effective relief without intoxication
• Online reactions are mixed: some see VIP36 as a breakthrough, others view it as big pharma profiting from cannabis while the plant remains restricted

The science behind VIP36 comes down to one clever design choice: it can’t get into your brain.

THC binds to CB1 receptors, which are found throughout your body and brain. When THC hits CB1 receptors in your brain, you get the classic high: euphoria, altered perception, impaired judgment. But when cannabinoids interact with CB1 receptors elsewhere in your body, they can reduce pain signals without those cognitive effects.

VIP36 targets the same CB1 receptor as THC, but researchers gave it a positive electrical charge that prevents it from crossing the blood-brain barrier. The compound also fits into a hidden pocket of the receptor that other cannabinoids don’t access the same way. The result is pain relief through the body’s peripheral nervous system, without impairing cognition.

This matters because cannabis for chronic pain has always come with a trade-off. You get relief, but you also get high—which isn’t ideal if you need to work, drive, or just function normally. VIP36 might eliminate that trade-off entirely.

Chronic pain affects tens of millions of people, and current treatment options aren’t great. Opioids work but carry serious addiction risks. NSAIDs help with mild pain but fall short for severe cases. Cannabis for pain relief is effective for many people, but the intoxication isn’t always necessary. Especially for daily use.

VIP36 could fill a significant gap by providing strong pain relief without:

• Producing intoxication
• The addiction potential of taking opioids
• The tolerance issues that develop with regular THC use

For people in recovery from substance use disorders, this is especially relevant. Reddit user u/frigginboredaf put it plainly: “I don’t get high anymore. I can’t. Kicked a nasty drug problem 7 years ago. I also deal with chronic pain. This, if effective, would be awesome.”

Another user, u/FloridaInExile, noted that current non-psychoactive options are very limited: “The current non-psychoactive substances are basically just NSAIDs, SNRIs, and gabapentinoids; all severely lacking in analgesic capabilities when stacked against opioids and cannabinoids.”

A closer look at reactions to the VIP36 study reactions on Reddit, the response was split.

Some users saw VIP36 as genuinely useful. One Canadian user, u/Kardinos, pointed out that even in fully legal markets, recreational cannabis for pain isn’t ideal: “Recreational products are expensive and for many people, the side effects are unpleasant. Fine for occasional and recreational use, but not for pain relief for an ongoing medical problem. A non-opioid pain reliever would be a welcome product, especially as a prescription.”

Others saw the development more cynically. One highly upvoted comment from u/maddscientist read: “It solves the problem of how can pharmaceutical companies profit from cannabis while keeping it illegal for the general population pretty nicely.”

Both perspectives have merit. Yes, VIP36 could funnel money to pharmaceutical companies instead of cannabis farmers. But there’s also a real population of patients who genuinely can’t or won’t use intoxicating substances: people in recovery, people on incompatible medications, people who simply don’t want to be high while managing daily pain. For these patients, a non-intoxicating option could be a life changer.

As one now-deleted user noted: “Cannabis also interacts with medication. I couldn’t take it when I was on anxiety medication because it made me feel like I was constantly in a fog. Not crossing the blood-brain barrier is a good thing for a lot of people.”

VIP36 represents an exciting and interesting direction in pain research, one that acknowledges the therapeutic potential of cannabinoid-based medicine while trying to remove the barriers that make cannabis for pain impractical for some patients.

Whether it ultimately reaches the market is still years away from being decided. But for chronic pain patients watching from the sidelines, it’s at least a sign that researchers are on the move.

Want to learn more about cannabis and pain relief? Check out these resources:

• Best Cannabis Strains That Help Arthritis Pain
• CBD Cream Pain Guide
• Cannabis Arthritis Pain Statistics
• Cannabis Chronic Pain Relief

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