NHS patients are to be given cannabis as part of a government-funded trial.

The study, which is being run by the Medical Research Council, aims to find out if the drug really can help to relieve pain.

Scientists will randomly select 400 patients who have undergone surgery from 36 hospitals across the UK to take part in the study.

They will be given one of four pills after undergoing surgery, two of which will be a form of cannabis.

Controlled study

They will receive a capsule containing standardised cannabis extract or a capsule containing tetrahydrocannabinol - the active ingredient in cannabis.

The remaining patients will receive either a standard pain-relieving drug or a dummy pill.

Researchers will ask the patients about their pain and general well-being at least once every hour while they are awake, over a six hour-period. The patients will be able to request additional pain relief at any time.

The researchers will then be able to compare the experiences of patients in each of the four groups and, hopefully, determine whether the cannabis-based treatments are effective.

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