For people dependent on opioids, therapeutic cannabis offers the hope of reducing pain, without the side effects of these synthetic painkillers. But it would not allow long-term weaning.
- In 2020, 69,000 people died from opioid-related overdoses in the United States.
- A third of Americans live in a state where cannabis is legal.
- Last March, France started a vast experiment on therapeutic cannabis.
Opioid drugs kill more people than guns in the United States. Since 1999, nearly 450,000 people have died of an overdose following this consumption. Prescribed as painkillers, these synthetic substances present a high risk of addiction. In recent years, various studies have focused on therapeutic cannabis, in order to make it a less dangerous alternative to these drugs, by reducing chronic pain. But the first results are mixed.
An inevitable return to opioids
On July 12, American researchers published the results of their work on the subject. They observed the effects of legal cannabis on the number of visits to emergency centers dedicated to opioids. Scientists note a 7.6% decrease in the number of visits to these centers in the months following the legalization of this substance. After six months, these effects completely dissipate. “While Cannabis Liberalization Can Help Fight the Opioid Epidemic, It’s Not a Panacea“, conclude the researchers. In an article published on NBC News, one of the authors of this study, Coleman Drake, explained that marijuana is unlikely to treat all the symptoms of addiction. “There could be a substitution (…) after a certain period“, he explained. This means that people would go back to opioids like Fentanyl.
Higher opioid consumption?
In the magazine Addiction, other researchers have looked at the link between opioids and marijuana. According to their conclusions, cannabis does not reduce the use of opioids. They followed 200 New Yorkers consuming these synthetic products, for illegal or non-medical use. After 90 days, they found that their risk of using opioids almost doubled on days they used marijuana, regardless of the level of pain they experienced.
Existing treatments, already tested and approved
On the side of medical institutions, cannabis is not perceived as a long-lasting and effective solution. I’American Society of Addiction Medicine believes that there is “no evidence that cannabis is effective in treating opioid use disorder“Physicians recommend instead the prescription of treatments that have been approved and tested for their effectiveness, such as methadone or naltrexone.”They’re available, effective, and that’s what people should be looking for, rather than trying to use cannabis to help manage their opioid issues.“says Dr. Andrew Saxon, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, in an article by NBC News. In France, addiction to painkillers causes at least four deaths each week.
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