The advantages of using cannabis instead of opioids – and to break its addiction – are well-documented
Opioid overdose deaths kill more Americans than traffic accidents, firearms, and breast cancer combined. Unable to ignore these epidemic-level numbers, experts say cannabis could become the safe alternative treatment capable of changing the landscape. In addition to helping this type of addiction, the plant has effects equal to or even better than those opioids that cause terrible side effects.
It has now been revealed that cannabidiol (CBD) tends to reduce physiological measures of stress reactivity, such as increased heart rate and cortisol levels, which are induced by stimuli caused by drug administration. Stimuli can be external, internal, and cognitive; and they can occur just before or long before drug intake. In humans, they generally increase the desire for the drug.
The term is often used in clinical work to refer to stimuli that increase the risk of drug relapse in abstinent persons or the risk of continued drug intake in an active user. Research in animals with a history of heroin self-administration showed that CBD reduced the tendency of the animals to use heroin in response to a drug-associated cue.
To determine whether the preclinical work could be translated to humans, different researchers used a series of clinical studies that demonstrated that CBD was safe and tolerable in humans. The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) notes that, according to some studies, marijuana inhalations can enhance the analgesic effects of opioids, allowing pain control with lower doses.
Another effect observed was a reduction in anxiety and withdrawal symptoms related to opioid use. These studies have led some politicians to openly support the use of medical cannabis to combat chronic pain. The plant has undoubtedly become the essential treatment for quitting opioids in the past.