Study: CBD Blocks Opioid Reward, May Help Treat Addiction
According to a new study published in the journal Planta Medica, cannabidiol blocks the reward of opioids and as such may be useful in treating those addicted to them.
This study, conducted by researchers at the University of Mississippi and Oxford, “sought to determine whether the cannabis constituent cannabidiol attenuates the development of morphine reward in the conditioned place preference paradigm.” Separate groups of mice “received either saline or morphine in combination with one of four doses of cannabidiol using three sets of drug/no-drug conditioning trials.”
After drug-place conditioning, “morphine mice displayed robust place preference that was attenuated by 10 mg/kg cannabidiol.” Further, “when administered alone, this dose of cannabidiol was void of rewarding and aversive properties.”
Researchers conclude that; “The finding that cannabidiol blocks opioid reward suggests that this compound may be useful in addiction treatment settings.”
The full study – published online by the U.S.National Institute of Health – can be found by clicking here.
