Monday, July 7, 2014

How Cannabis Can Help with Opioid Usage

If you’re someone who uses opioids a lot, you might wonder if there is an alternative out there. Opioids can help with pain, but they are addictive and they put peoples lives in jeopardy. There are treatments that can be rough for people to deal with this, and there is a desire for people to recover.  There are so many overdoses that happen, that people are looking for a solution. Fortunately, medical cannabis might be the answer. Medical cannabis might be the answer for opioid addiction and dependency.  Here, we’ll discuss what that may be. 

An Alternative to Opioids 

If you’re someone who has seen the many studies regarding medical marijuana, you know that this is definitely a choice for those that are suffering from addiction. There are researchers who have found that the usage has gone down where the usage of this does go up. There was a study that showed that the opioids prescribed did fall down to about 2.11 million doses every single year, and it went down even further as more and more dispensaries were opened up.



Not just that though, it was also discovered that the mortality rate for this was a lot lower too. It’s important to also note though that this also helps those in recovery too. With many injuries and situations creating needs for these prescriptions, addiction is likely, and marijuana might be the solution to relapsing. 

Relief from withdrawal symptoms 

One thing that they don’t tell you about opioid usage, is that the withdrawal symptoms are just as bad as some of the symptoms of being on them. The nausea, the chills, and the bodily pain and stress that medical opioids cause when withdrawing can be utterly harrowing. That's why, using marijuana can be the option for those looking to not relapse once more.



Keeps Cravings at Bay 

Another study that was done in 2019 did also prove that cannabidiol actually helped with the cravings that happened among those who were abstaining from drugs. When you compared this to the placebo that was there, this actually reduced plenty of the cravings that were induced by the drug cues and the presentation, and this actually was found to happen up to seven days after being exposed. 

Helps with Anxiety 

Most people that use opioids actually use this for mental health concerns, and it’s something that a lot of people may substitute cannabis for, especially for generalized anxiety disorders, PTSD, panic disorders, OCD, and also seasonal affective disorder. 

If you’ve got anxiety, it could be the option for you.

Great for those with histories of the usage of this 

Some people who struggle with opioid dependency, especially if they have in the past, have felt overwhelming pain when trying to relieve themselves of them. Many people who haven’t ever touched cannabis may also look at using opioids for the rest of their lives, since that’s what they know.



A lot of times, those who still have the stigma of their past with opioid addiction may look into using cannabis. It’s less addictive, is better for you, and there is less risk of overdosage when you’re taking this.

If you’re someone that struggles with dependance on opioids you’re not alone. In fact, this is a legitimate crisis that can be quite stressful for those that are involved in it.

It’s vital to make sure that you’re careful with the usage of opioids, and you’ll want to definitely consider using this as an alternative, and you’ll get to feel the difference with this when you start to use it today.