Marijuana, cannabis and hemp are widely used in the US.
However, they also have an addictive, sometimes fatal effect.
Now, new research shows that herbaceous plants can help people cope with the negative side effects of prescription painkillers.
The researchers looked at how the plant-based compounds in marijuana, cannabis, and hemp help people with opioid addiction.
They also looked at whether marijuana, cannabidiol (CBD), the active ingredient in cannabis, could help people stop using prescription opioids.
“In this study, we show that THC-induced hyperalgesia is more pronounced in patients with opioid dependence, a finding that is potentially beneficial for treating opioid dependence in the treatment of opioid addiction,” said lead author of the study, Dr. John A. Parekh, associate professor of neurology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Parens was also involved in another study that found that THC, the compound in marijuana that makes users high, has a stronger effect than morphine, the opioid used to treat pain.
“This work highlights the potential of cannabinoids in treating opioid dependency,” said Dr. Pareds.
The findings were published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
More information:Drug addiction: How a drug can make us addicted to a bad thing, medical News Today, April 27, 2020