Study Finds CBD Can Help Dampen Cravings For Opioids, Potentially Adding Weapon In Fight Against Crisis
In a report published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers find that patients treated with cannabidiol (CBD) reported lower cravings for heroin or other opioids than did patients who were either given a placebo or no treatment at all. As states and public health experts scramble to contain the drug epidemic, the findings could provide some hope.
CNN:
Study Finds CBD Effective In Treating Heroin Addiction
Cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive ingredient in hemp and marijuana, could treat opioid addiction, a new study says. Given to patients with heroin addiction, cannabidiol, also known as CBD, reduced their cravings for the illicit drug as well as their levels of anxiety. "The intense craving is what drives the drug use," said Yasmin Hurd, the lead researcher on the study and director of the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai. "If we can have the medications that can dampen that [craving], that can greatly reduce the chance of relapse and overdose risk." (Kounang, 5/21)
The Hill:
Study Finds CBD Can Help Treat Opioid Addiction
The study's lead researcher told CNN that the results indicate that CBD could serve as an effective over-the-counter method of treatment for people experiencing opioid withdrawal symptoms, leading to lower levels of people returning to drug use. "The intense craving is what drives the drug use," said Yasmin Hurd, director of the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, according to CNN. "If we can have the medications that can dampen that [craving], that can greatly reduce the chance of relapse and overdose risk." (Bowden, 5/21)
In other news on the crisis —
The Associated Press:
Vermont Attorney General Sues Owners Of Opioid Manufacturer
Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan says he's filed suit against eight members of the family that owns the drug company that manufactures OxyContin, one of the drugs believed to be partly responsible for the opioid crisis. Donovan alleged Tuesday that for over two decades the Sackler family, the owners of Purdue Pharma, minimized the health risks of opioids, claiming the prescription drugs were rarely the cause of abuse, addiction or death. (5/21)
KQED:
Newsom's Sweeping Plan To Reduce Inmate Drug Overdoses Faces Pushback
Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposal to spend close to $400 million over three years to battle substance abuse in California's prisons is hitting a roadblock, after legislative staffers raised serious concerns about the sweeping plan. The governor's updated May budget includes a plan to drastically change how the state fights drug abuse in its roughly three dozen prisons, where an increasing number of inmates have overdosed in recent years. (Goldberg, 5/21)
