Using CBD to fight addiction

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The cannabis compound has been proven effective in curbing several types of addiction with no harmful effects

For many years, cannabis was considered a gateway drug until that was turned into a myth. Recently, with its non-psychoactive effects, cannabidiol (CBD) has been paving its own way to the market by bringing many benefits to several health conditions, including addiction to heavy drugs. Many studies find CBD to be promising to treat many ailments and for treating addiction there is encouraging evidence to review.

Ironically, opioids are one of the most powerful and addictive substances there are, and, yet, they are frequently used among people with severe pain and certain conditions. A 2014 study found that, in states where cannabis was made legal, fewer opioid overdoses were reported. Its correlation was not studied in-depth, but most likely, people are turning to cannabis products instead of opioids to treat pain because of its all-natural characteristics.

CBD can also act as a supplementary treatment alongside methadone, as one study from 2013 concluded that people using cannabis while on methadone are reporting better and less intense opioids withdrawals. Also, regarding opioids, another study made on rats observed a difference in the reward obtained from morphine when they were given CBD, so it can mean that CBD interferes with the brain response to opioids.

For treating cocaine and methamphetamine addiction, there is hope in CBD. In a 2019 study, a scientific review stated that CBD can be useful to treat these addictions, and, with the help of CBD, people were better at avoiding a relapse in meth or cocaine. “A limited number of preclinical studies indicate that CBD could have therapeutic properties on cocaine and METH addiction and some preliminary data suggest that CBD may be beneficial in cocaine-crack addiction in humans,” the study authors wrote. “Importantly, a brief treatment of CBD induces long-lasting prevention of reinstatement of cocaine and METH seeking behaviors.”