Opiate use abuse is usually associated with hard drugs such as narcotics, potent pain-relieving drugs. This classification of drugs deals with includes prescription pain relievers such as Oxycodone and Fentanyl, and street drugs like heroin.
Opioids function in the mind by binding with opioid receptors and influencing how we react to both pain and pleasure. When you take opioids, you feel an instant rush of pleasurable feelings of euphoria, relaxation, and calm.
After the rush of relaxation, you start experiencing the “high,” within 30 minutes after taking the drug. The high comes with several side effects. The desirable effects combined with the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms are what keep individuals tied to opioid addiction.
The primary danger about opioids is their powerful addictive properties. Most prescription opioids are meant for temporal usage, yet abuse can occur within a short period. Addiction is common with opioid abuse, and it happens instantly after several uses due to how the drug influences your brain.
Continuous opiate use disorder comes with the tolerance to the drug, or inability to experience its effects. If you are unable to feel the effects of opioids due to being addicted to them, you tend to start taking high amounts of the drug or taking them at a higher frequency. This pattern increases your risk of opiate use disorder.
Opioid addiction treatment usually involves reducing or ceasing the use of drugs. This helps to make the patient as comfortable as possible. There are several methods for treating opiate use disorder and medical marijuana may be one of them.
Can medical marijuana help combat opiate use disorder?
Medicinal marijuana may act as a great alternative to opiate abuse treatments. Its use for treating symptoms like anxiety stress and pain makes it great for many conditions. Several cannabis strains can help with the condition. However, since each individual reacts differently to cannabis it may be wise to start with smaller doses.
Medical cannabis may lessen the intensity of opioid withdrawal symptoms and opioid craving. Many medications can help with opiate use disorder. However, these medications come with several side effects. Cannabis is a proven medicine, and its lack of side effects make it a great alternative for many conditions including opiate use disorder.
How Cannabis Effectively Treats Opiate Dependence
There’s a link between opioids and marijuana. However, cannabis is not the gateway drug to opiate use disorder. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, most cannabis users don’t progress to opioids.
Cannabis is a safer alternative to pain medication. Also, evidence shows that CBD can prevent the cravings that come with opiate use disorder.
Using opiates for conditions such as pain relief can impact their well-being and health in the long run. Combing cannabis with opioids can reduce the need for larger doses. Marijuana for opiate use disorder can also help prevent people from using opioids while treating their symptoms at the same time.
Medical cannabis for opiate use disorder is a safer alternative. Marijuana is not addictive and doesn’t have any overdose death reports. Also, users don’t build a tolerance to cannabis as they do with opioids.
Bottom line
Opiate use disorder is a major crisis affecting the US. Hopefully, the continuous legalization of cannabis will help curb this crisis.