Cannabis to combat opioid addiction has all kinds of new scientific breakthroughs. This article explains all of it. Opioid addiction is a strong want to take certain opioid medications. Opioids are drugs that a doctor frequently prescribes to treat pain. A persistent wish to do something is an addiction. It is a strong desire to utilize opioids in this instance. Your brain and behavior are both impacted by the condition of addiction. You can first decide whether to utilize opioids. But if you don’t take the medication as prescribed by your doctor, its effects ultimately make you want to continue using it. Your brain alters over time, creating a strong need to consume opioids. Opioids reduce the pain signals your body delivers to your brain, which is how they function.
Additionally, they alter how your brain reacts to pain. Drug addiction can happen when patients abuse medication (opioid use disorder). Opioids can also cause addiction in those who use them illicitly.
There may be physical, behavioral, or psychological signs and symptoms of opioid addiction. The inability to stop using opioids is one telltale indicator of addiction. Another indication is when someone cannot quit using more than their doctor has advised. The following list includes symptoms and indicators of opioid abuse: shallow or sluggish breathing, Physical unrest, Mood changes, Irritability, Depression, diminished motivation, and a panic attack. Without recognizing it before it’s too late, a person may misuse the substance or even become reliant and addicted to it. Understanding the signs is an excellent approach to determining whether you or someone close to you may start to develop an opiate issue to avoid this from happening. These signs include an increased tolerance to opioids, an inability to quit using, withdrawal symptoms including mood swings, restlessness, trembling, and sweating, a negative influence on relationships, a need for excessive financial resources, and significant weight loss or growth.
Opioid addiction causes change in your brain by producing artificial endorphins.
These endorphins not only reduce pain but also improve mood. Your brain may become dependent on these synthetic endorphins if you take opioids excessively. Once your brain achieves this, it may even decide to cease making endorphins on its own. It is more likely to occur the longer you use opioids.
Each person receives a different course of treatment for opioid addiction. The main objective of treatment is to assist you in quitting drug use. Additionally, receiving treatment may assist in preventing future relapse. The human body will respond if it stops consuming opioids in the form of anxiety, nausea, and vomiting. Withdrawal is the reaction in question. A doctor may prescribe specific medications to treat withdrawal symptoms. These drugs include buprenorphine, naltrexone, and methadone (commonly used to treat heroin addiction). Buprenorphine and methadone work in the same brain regions opioids do to help lessen withdrawal symptoms.
While the rate of opioid overdose deaths is concerning, the rate of cannabis overdose deaths is still zero, between 21 to 29 percent of people who get opioid prescriptions for chronic pain abuse the drugs.
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Opioids Mechanism of Action
The brain’s mu-opioid receptors are activated by opiates (MORs). Neurotransmitters, organic chemicals in your body, link to these receptors to control hormone release, pain, and general sensations of well-being. However, when an artificial substance like opiate binds to and activates these receptors, it causes an intense rush of dopamine, a hormone that makes people happy. The body’s natural hormone release is upset as a result, yet because the emotions of pleasure are so intense, drug usage is encouraged because the body craves more. The body is fundamentally weary after the “rush,” causing users to feel drowsy, less mentally alert, and have slower heart and respiration rates.
Why Cannabis over Opioids?
Cannabis, the formal name for marijuana, is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried flowers of the Cannabis plant that includes more than 500 compounds. CBD is one of roughly 100 so-called cannabinoids in Cannabis. Marijuana is marketed or eaten for therapeutic purposes in addition to being used recreationally (many states permit this). While CBD is derived from the marijuana plant’s flowers, most marijuana used for recreational purposes has relatively little CBD. More than 50 medical illnesses, including chronic pain, Alzheimer’s, glaucoma, and addiction, are treated by CBD.
Opioid substitutes for pain treatment are required to solve its addiction. Compared to opioid-based pharmaceuticals, Cannabis can be an excellent pain reliever that considerably minimizes the symptoms of opioid addiction and the likelihood of dependency and completely removes the risk of deadly overdose. Patients who use medical marijuana say it relieves pain just as well as, if not better, opioid-based drugs.
The American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience has released the results of pilot research by Dr. Kevin Rod. The research looked into the potential benefits of Cannabis for opioid withdrawal. The Toronto-based family physician recruited 600 individuals with persistent pain for the study.
Scientific Pieces of Evidence
Additional scientific shreds of evidence are mentioned in the literature about Cannabis To Combat Opioid Addiction.
According to the study on Cannabis as a Substitute for Opioid-Based Pain Medication, Thirty-four percent of the sample said they had taken opioid-based painkillers during the previous six months. Most respondents claimed that Cannabis provides similar pain relief to conventional drugs but without unpleasant side effects. Ninety-seven percent of the sample “strongly agreed/agreed” that taking Cannabis alone was more successful at treating their disease than taking Cannabis with opioids, and 81% “strongly agreed/agreed” that doing so helped them use fewer opiates overall.
According to Cannabinoids, Pain, and Opioid Use Reduction (OUD) research, many people have already started using Cannabis as an alternative to opiate painkillers to manage their pain. It also stated that cannabis-related medications show effectiveness in the treatment of pain. Patient registries and the experience of 30 nations that have authorized Sativex, a cannabis plant-derived medicine with an identical ratio of THC to CBD, suggest that it is well tolerated and has a minimal risk of side effects. It also implies that those who use Cannabis for pain may be able to cut back on their consumption of opioids and perhaps other drugs.
The National Academies of Science and Medicine have validated the effectiveness of Cannabis for treating pain in adults after conducting a thorough assessment. Interestingly, when provided access to Cannabis, people already taking opioids to treat chronic pain report using those drugs 40–60% less frequently and prefer Cannabis to opioids. Patients in these trials reported a higher quality of life with cannabis usage compared to opioids and fewer adverse effects with cannabis use than with their opioid medicines (including a paradoxical increase in cognitive function).
In addition to being used recreationally, Cannabis is also used to treat pain, reduce inflammation, and promote homeostasis in the body.
Possible Ways to Use Cannabis to Treat Opioid Addiction
Several CBD products are available, including:
- Smoking and vaping
- Lotions & creams for skin
- Tinctures and oils.
Patients claim that fewer severe side effects, a lower risk of withdrawal, accessibility, and better symptom control for their ailments are the main reasons they choose Cannabis over other drugs.
Cannabis as a Tool for OUD Harm Reduction
According to preclinical research, the CB1 receptor is essential for opioid pleasure. Opioid reward characteristics are diminished by cannabinoid antagonistic effects, inhibiting drug use from returning. Numerous studies have demonstrated that using Cannabis in addition to opioids reduces opioid use or inhibits opioid dosage escalation. Preclinical solid data points to the crucial function CBD, one of the most frequent cannabinoid compounds in Cannabis, may play.
Rodent studies show that CBD has minimal reinforcing effects, supporting its low abuse potential. It has been demonstrated that CBD lessens the pleasurable effects of several drugs of addiction, including cocaine, amphetamine, and nicotine. As oral CBD administration of 400 and 800 mg does not result in adverse effects, adjunct CBD appears safe and tolerated. CBD reduces opioid addiction effects and has significant therapeutic potential since it has a vast therapeutic window, is neither intoxicating nor rewarding, and has an outstanding safety profile.
Best Cannabis Strains to Avoid Opioid Addiction
Below are some of the best strains that we recommend for cannabis to combat opioid addiction. In countries with legalized therapeutic programs, Cannabis reduces the prevalence of opioid addiction effects. It would be advisable to use CBD-dominant strains like ACDC, Harlequin, and Harle-Tsu. These strains have low THC content and offer very little in the way of an exhilarating high. However, they do have potent pain-relieving properties. On the other side, those with prior cannabis use may be more drawn to high-THC varieties like Jack Herer, OG Kush (as well as different Kush cultivars), and Girl Scout Cookies. These strains are not advised for people with minimal prior marijuana exposure because of their intense highs.
Harle-Tsu
This distinguished strain typically contains 13 percent CBD but frequently tests much higher. At the 2014 Emerald Cup, it won the prize for best CBD flower. According to laboratory tests, it has 0.86 percent THC and 21.05 percent CBD. It is popular among those trying to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and sharpen their focus because of this ratio.
Jack Herer
Smoking Jack Herer, a very well-liked medical strain, focuses on alleviating physical pain and anxiety, melancholy, and stress problems. After a well-known cannabis campaigner, Jack Herer neatly strikes a balance between the intellect and body.
ACDC
ACDC has the lowest THC concentration of any band on this list at 1%. Additionally, it has a 12% of high CBD concentration. It has no psychotropic effects and is not as calming as those with higher THC concentrations. The terpene Myrcene, which helps reduce pain, is also a part of ACDC—extracted from the cannabis strain Cannatonic, one of the most potent strains for pain relief and one that has been proven to be an effective treatment for depression and anxiety.
Harlequin
Typically, Harlequin has 9% CBD and 5% THC. Since it has no psychotropic side effects, it is a popular strain for treating pain in individuals who want pain relief. The CBD eases discomfort, while the THC amount is just right for concentration. Another component of Harlequin, myrcene, also lessens inflammation and pain. Because of its antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, this cannabis strain is mainly used by arthritis patients for pain management and brain injuries.
The OG Kush (Indica Marijuana Strain)
Because it helps reduce anxiety, despair, pain, and insomnia, OG Kush is helpful for people going through opioid withdrawal.
Seeing a doctor specializing in medical Cannabis is the best course of Action for people who observe any opioid addiction effects and wish to utilize marijuana as medicine to treat opioid addiction.
These are the best strains for cannabis to combat opioid addiction. If you would like to know more about all the popular cannabis strains visit our post – Weed Strains Everything You Need to Know!
Conclusion Cannabis To Combat Opioid Addiction
As you can see, using Cannabis as a pain reliever is a sensible alternative to pharmaceutical opioids and is proven to be a medication to help with opioid addiction. Regarding medicinal marijuana, public perception is shifting, and soon medical cannabis regulations and healthcare practitioner training will catch up. There is proof that patients can benefit from medical marijuana’s pain-relieving effects and its other health benefits, such as stress reduction. Practical treatment approaches are required at each level of analysis because opioid addiction is the consequence of several interrelated biological, psychological, and social components. This intricacy calls for a strategy that combines easily accessible family practitioners, emergency rooms, pain treatment centers, safe injection sites, outpatient and residential programs, and evidence-based psychological and pharmaceutical therapies.
Thank you for reading about Cannabis To Combat Opioid Addiction. We have many more articles that explain how cannabis can help with many illnesses written by medical doctors. Check those out in our blog section.
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