Monday, 15 July 2013

Cannabis may decrease symptom severity of opiate withdrawal during methadone maintenance treatment

 

 http://www.cannabis-med.org/english/bulletin/ww_en_db_cannabis_artikel.php?id=403#1

 

Cannabis may decrease symptom severity of opiate withdrawal during methadone maintenance treatment

 

  A new study suggests that symptoms of opiate withdrawal decrease in patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment, who use cannabis. The study with 91 patients has been conducted by researches of the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, USA. Patterns of cannabis use prior to and during methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) were examined to assess possible cannabis-related effects on MMT, particularly during methadone stabilization. 

Rates of cannabis use were high during methadone induction, dropping significantly following dose stabilization. History of cannabis use correlated with cannabis use during MMT but did not negatively impact the methadone induction process. Authors noted that “pilot data also suggested that objective ratings of opiate withdrawal decrease in MMT patients using cannabis during stabilization.”  

Scavone JL, Sterling RC, Weinstein SP, Van Bockstaele EJ. Impact of Cannabis Use during Stabilization on Methadone Maintenance Treatment. Am J Addict 2013;22(4):344-51.

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