CBD to treat opioid addiction
The opioid crisis, which affects a portion of the population, is a real public health concern. These substances, prescribed to treat pain, are also recognised for their strongly addictive and, in some cases, fatal nature. Research on CBD could provide an alternative to opioids, without their adverse effects.
The opioid problem
In order to understand the opioid problem, it is important to remember why people use them. For some severe pain or chronic illnesses, drugs may be prescribed in conventional medicine which are made using opium derivatives, such as morphine or codeine. These substances enable patients to cope with their conditions, but they also cause many side effects.
And they are extremely addictive. It is not uncommon for people who start taking morphine in a medical setting to gradually become addicted. They then become unwilling addicts with all the resulting effects, such as withdrawal or depression, which can sometimes even lead to death by overdose. Fortunately, recent studies on CBD have shown promising results in treating these effects or perhaps even replacing opioids.
How can CBD be a solution?
As we have often reported on this site, CBD is one of the many cannabinoids that are safe for humans. This molecule is extracted from hemp and has no harmful physical or psychological effects on the body. According to a WHO report, the CBD legally sold in shops, whether physical or online, cannot be considered a psychotropic substance and there is no risk of addiction.
Additionally, scientific studies have shown that CBD is a compound with numerous anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticonvulsant benefits. It could also combat some of the adverse effects of THC, its unlicensed cousin, by reducing the risk of anxiety, paranoia, or psychosis that it sometimes causes. Based on these findings, researchers have been investigating the possibility of using these benefits to develop a drug that combats the harmful effects of opioids.
Towards a CBD-based medicine
Following the positive results of studies on the cannabinoid, the biotech company Ananda, a company backed by scientists in the United States and Israel, has just developed a drug that would be a major breakthrough in the fight against opioid addictions. Nanthia ATL5, as it is called, offers real hope against this epidemic that claims nearly 50,000 lives in the USA every year.
The American firm has just obtained authorisation from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), which is the equivalent of our ANSM (Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé [French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines]), for the Californian university of UCLA to initiate clinical trials. The US administration decided to fully fund this study. If successful, this could help develop a drug that, while not a complete replacement, may provide a solution to the opioid crisis. Nanthia ATL5, which has a high level of CBD (100 mg per capsule), could provide pain relief and support to patients without the harmful effects that methadone or Buprenorphine can cause, especially in terms of addiction.
In conclusion, if this study provides solutions to help relieve patients’ pain and help in the fight against an epidemic that affects thousands of people, it will be further proof that medical CBD can contribute a lot to science, and that public authorities should show an interest in it.
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Morphine et CBD
BERGEY Nathalie September 16th 2023Bonjour,
Je souffre de maux de dos très invalidants (impossible de bouger) hernies discales et dégénérescence disques.
Je suis sous morphine depuis 1 mois et obligée d’augmenter les doses pour avoir un petit effet. Je vous ai commandé du CBD en gouttes le plus faible dosage.
Puis je prendre votre CBD . Je ne sais plus quoi faire pour me soulager….
Merci pour votre réponse.
Cordialement,
Nathalie
Miranda E September 18th 2023