The underexplored potential of cannabis to treat opioid addiction
“In a new paper published in the journal Trends in Neuroscience, a neurobiologist argues that using cannabis for opioid withdrawal and pain relief is a promising area of research that has been largely neglected in the scientific community. And in light of the current opioid epidemic and positive early trials of cannabis, this needs to change.”
For example, previous studies have found that cannabinoids have a stronger effect on inflammation-based chronic pain, while opioids are particularly good at relieving acute pain. One major difference, however, is that opioids can quickly lead to a deadly addiction. “If you look at both drugs and where their receptors are, opioids are much more dangerous in part because of the potential for overdose. The opioid receptors are very abundant in the brainstem area that regulates our respiration so they shut down the breathing center if opioid doses are high,” said Hurd.
Original Article (Psychcentral):
The Underexplored Potential of Cannabis to Treat Opioid Addiction
Artwork Fair Use: Nabokov
