Study Finds Cannabis Mitigates Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms
According to a new study, marijuana use is associated with subjective improvements in opioid withdrawal symptoms and opioid withdrawal severity. This is according to a study published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.
For the study, first reported by NORML, researchers examined the impact of cannabis use on symptoms of opioid withdrawal in a cohort of 200 subjects. Participants in the survey acknowledged having recently used cannabis and also having experienced symptoms of opioid withdrawal over the previous 30 days.
Researchers reported that the majority of subjects reported “clinically meaningful” improvements from cannabis, particularly with respect to improved sleep and reduced anxiety.
They concluded: “Across all symptoms, more participants indicated that opioid withdrawal symptoms improved with cannabis relative to those who indicated that cannabis worsened a symptom. On average, withdrawal severity scores nearly doubled on days cannabis was not used. Commonly improved symptoms included anxiety, trouble sleeping, and bone/muscle aches.”
“… These results show that cannabis may improve opioid withdrawal symptoms and that the size of the effect is clinically meaningful. … Prospectively designed studies examining the impact of cannabis and cannabinoids on opioid withdrawal are warranted.”
The full abstract can be found below:
Objectives
Four states have legalized medical cannabis for the purpose of treating opioid use disorder. It is unclear whether cannabinoids improve or exacerbate opioid withdrawal. A more thorough examination of cannabis and its impact on specific symptoms of opioid withdrawal is warranted.
Method
Two hundred individuals recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk with past month opioid and cannabis use and experience of opioid withdrawal completed the survey. Participants indicated which opioid withdrawal symptoms improved or worsened with cannabis use and indicated the severity of their opioid withdrawal on days with and without cannabis.
Results
62.5% (n = 125) of 200 participants had used cannabis to treat withdrawal. Participants most frequently indicated that cannabis improved: anxiety, tremors, and trouble sleeping. A minority of participants (6.0%, n = 12) indicated cannabis worsened opioid withdrawal, specifically symptoms of yawning, teary eyes, and runny nose. Across all symptoms, more participants indicated that symptoms improved with cannabis compared to those that indicated symptoms worsened with cannabis. Women reported greater relief from withdrawal with cannabis use than men.
Discussion
These results show that cannabis may improve opioid withdrawal symptoms and that the size of the effect is clinically meaningful. It is important to note that symptoms are exacerbated with cannabis in only a minority of individuals. Prospectively designed studies examining the impact of cannabis and cannabinoids on opioid withdrawal are warranted.
Andrew Ellis
it would be nice to have a hyperlink to the study
Rishi Madan
The hyperlink to the report is there –> https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/4/919. If you go to the page, you can download the PDF of the report.