Using cannabis as a medicine helps people with spinal cord injuries to cope better with almost constant pain, a new research study suggests.

Participants in the joint University of Otago, Christchurch, and the Burwood Academy of Independent Living study have found, overall, the benefits of using cannabis outweighed the negatives.

This study is the first New Zealand study of cannabis use in people with spinal cord injuries.

Researcher Bronwyn Thompson, of Otago's Christchurch campus, said the research had enabled the voices of people using cannabis for pain relief to be heard, and they should also be listened to in the debate over cannabis use.

Researchers interviewed eight people with spinal injuries who used cannabis for pain.

The study was done on condition of anonymity but the research paper, published recently in the Spinal Cord Case Studies journal, included comments from unidentified participants.