by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
November 30, 2015
Cannabis use is associated with improved outcomes in opioid-dependent subjects undergoing outpatient treatment, according to data published online ahead of print in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Researchers at Columbia University assessed the use of cannabinoids versus placebo in opioid-dependent subjects undergoing in-patient detoxification and outpatient treatment with naltrexone, an opiate receptor antagonist. Investigators reported that the administration of oral THC (dronabinol) during the detoxification process lowered the severity of subjects’ withdrawal symptoms compared to placebo, but that these effects did not persist over the entire course of treatment. By contrast, patients who consumed herbal cannabis during the outpatient treatment phase were more readily able to sleep, were less anxious, and were more likely to complete their treatment as compared to those subjects who did not.
“One of the interesting study findings was the observed beneficial effect of marijuana smoking on treatment retention,” authors concluded. “Participants who smoked marijuana had less difficulty with sleep and anxiety and were more likely to remain in treatment as compared to those who were not using marijuana, regardless of whether they were taking dronabinol or placebo.”
http://blog.norml.org/2015/11/30/study-cannabis-improves-outcomes-in-opioid-dependent-subjects-undergoing-treatment/
>>4157
he findings replicate those of two prior studies, one from 2001 and another from 2009, reporting greater treatment adherence among subjects who consumed cannabis intermittently during outpatient therapy.
Population data from states where medicinal cannabis is permitted report lower rates of opioid-abuse and mortality as compared to those states where the plant is prohibited. Clinical data and case reports also indicate that the adjunctive use of cannabis may wean patients from opiates while successfully managing their pain. Survey data of state qualified medical cannabis patients demonstrates that subjects with access to the plant often substitute it for opioids because they perceive it to possess fewer adverse side effects.
Overdose deaths involving opioids have increased dramatically in recent years. While fewer than 4,100 opiate-induced fatalities were reported for the year 1999, by 2010 this figure rose to over 16,600 according to an analysis by the US Centers for Disease Control.
Marijuana is not a miracle drug but to deny the benefits it can provide people is absurd. Few more years to go and we'll finally have it legalised atleast.
>>4157
so tl;dr: smoke pot when you ween yourself off heroin or oxycontin
>>4209
WEED
>>4221
Lmao
>>4160
not to belabor the point, but it is in addition to being a promising substance for pharmaceutical research, it's a far superior recreational narcotic in comparison to alcohol, nicotine and caffeine
SOURCE: You can trust me, this is the internet
>>4162
How do people get addicted to oxy? I was prescribed oxycontin after a dental surgery, and I took more pills than I was supposed to, but I didn't feel anything different, just a little drowsiness.
>>4157
Shutup you retarded stoner. Weed isn't some miracle treatment for everything. Meds based off it have been around for thirty years, its has very limited use. It's slowly being pushed right now because the medical industry and local governments sees dollar signs.
>>4353
The same reason people don't get addicted to heroin when they get morphine.
You're in a hospital rather than shooting up in a depressing environment crying about your shitty life. Most people don't understand
>>4671
There are millions of people who are pushing it because it's a rights violation. Not everyone would want to live in a nanny state. No surprise you begin with ad homs.
>>4162
I've heard of many people switching to nicotine when they wean off a certain drug. It's a serious issue and all it shows is that these people will latch onto the next thing and the greatest problem lies within themselves. Besides withdrawal effects that you obviously can't control, you can definitely control yourself enough to not give into impulses. All we're doing is encouraging a type of behavior and ignoring the real underlying cause. And this is not to say that there is no such thing as dependence, just that it isn't impossible or even very hard to work up the willpower to put down the syringe or the pipe and get help. This will always offend people because they don't tend to actually listen to this message. There are some people who think this is the same as saying that addiction is easy. These are emotionally-fed idiots that should have no say in other people's lives.
