Cannabidiol or CBD is getting significantly more popular as a potential treatment for things like anxiety, sleeplessness, and epilepsy. After having done several studies, health professionals are seeing a noticeable difference in how CBD can be used to treat opioid addiction.
“There is a growing body of preclinical and clinical evidence to support use of CBD oils for many conditions, suggesting its potential role as another option for treating challenging chronic pain or opioid addiction.”
PubMed.gov
FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS CBD?
CBD is a product from a cannabis plant known to enhance pain relief, relaxation, and more. Unlike marijuana, CBD does not contain THC, therefore, does not produce a high. You can consume CBD in an oil form, pills, or even gummies. Now that researchers are looking into CBD more deeply, many studies have been to treat a wide variety of health conditions. This includes alcoholism, opioid addiction, autism, and skin conditions.
RESEARCH ON CBD & OPIOID ADDICTION
According to HealthDay News, researchers conducted a study included 42 men and women with a history of heroin abuse. The participants were not current users but still suffered from an addiction.
This study addressed the treatment of opioid drugs. This includes heroin (an illegal opioid) and prescribed opioid painkillers such as oxycodone (OxyContin).
Some participants received an oral CBD supplement while some received an inactive placebo. Then, researchers played videos with drug-related cues as well as neutral or peaceful cues.
Observers found that drug cravings and anxiety were reduced more in the CBD participants than in the participants with the placebo.
“Our findings indicate that CBD holds significant promise for treating individuals with heroin use disorder,” said first author Yasmin Hurd. She is director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai in New York City.
“A successful non-opioid medication would add significantly to the existing addiction medication toolbox to help reduce the growing death toll, enormous health care costs, and treatment limitations imposed by stringent government regulations amid this persistent opioid epidemic,”
Mount Sinai News Release
WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF OPIOID TREATMENT?
Experts will continue to study CBD and all of its benefits. Although CBD treatments are not accepted by everyone as of yet, in time and with more research, we believe that using CBD to treat opioid addiction will help thousands.
SEE HOW USING CBD CAN HELP TREAT OPIOID ADDICTION
If you are ready to try something new to help treat opioid addiction for you or someone you love, give our quality, tested, CBD a try.