New research suggests CBD can reduce craving and anxiety for those with heroin use disorder

Long-time readers know I have long been covering the (never-quite-clear) connection between modern marijuana reform and the modern opioid crisis.  (Just some of many, many prior posts on this front are linked below.)   Today brings notable research news on this front, which is already getting a lot of attention from the mainstream press in articles from CNN, from NBC News, from Newsweek, and from US News & World Report, among others.  All these stories are about a new study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry from multiple authors under this catchy title: "Cannabidiol for the Reduction of Cue-Induced Craving and Anxiety in Drug-Abstinent Individuals With Heroin Use Disorder: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial."  Here is the study's abstract:

Objective:

Despite the staggering consequences of the opioid epidemic, limited nonopioid medication options have been developed to treat this medical and public health crisis. This study investigated the potential of cannabidiol (CBD), a nonintoxicating phytocannabinoid, to reduce cue-induced craving and anxiety, two critical features of addiction that often contribute to relapse and continued drug use, in drug-abstinent individuals with heroin use disorder.

Methods:

This exploratory double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial assessed the acute (1 hour, 2 hours, and 24 hours), short-term (3 consecutive days), and protracted (7 days after the last of three consecutive daily administrations) effects of CBD administration (400 or 800 mg, once daily for 3 consecutive days) on drug cue–induced craving and anxiety in drug-abstinent individuals with heroin use disorder. Secondary measures assessed participants’ positive and negative affect, cognition, and physiological status.

Results:

Acute CBD administration, in contrast to placebo, significantly reduced both craving and anxiety induced by the presentation of salient drug cues compared with neutral cues. CBD also showed significant protracted effects on these measures 7 days after the final short-term (3-day) CBD exposure. In addition, CBD reduced the drug cue–induced physiological measures of heart rate and salivary cortisol levels. There were no significant effects on cognition, and there were no serious adverse effects.

Conclusions:

CBD’s potential to reduce cue-induced craving and anxiety provides a strong basis for further investigation of this phytocannabinoid as a treatment option for opioid use disorder.

Some (of many) prior related posts:

• Two new papers provide further evidence of marijuana reform aiding with opioid crisis
• "The Case for Pot in the Age of Opioids: Legalizing medical marijuana could save lives that may otherwise be lost to opioid addiction."
• "Can medical marijuana be used to treat heroin addiction?"
• Yet another study suggests link between medical marijuana availability and decreased opioid use
• "Legalize marijuana and reduce deaths from drug abuse"
• "Obama’s Opioid Offensive Again Ignores the Cannabis Solution"
• "Is marijuana a secret weapon against the opioid epidemic?"
• "Cannabis as a Substitute for Opioid-Based Pain Medication: Patient Self-Report"
• "The use of cannabis in response to the opioid crisis: A review of the literature"
• Still more talk, from notable conservative outlets, about possible benefits of marijuana reform amidst opioid crisis
• "Could medical marijuana help fight opioid abuse? It’s complicated"
• "Impact of Medical Marijuana Legalization on Opioid Use, Chronic Opioid Use, and High-risk Opioid Use"
• "Should Physicians Recommend Replacing Opioids With Cannabis?"
• "The Impact of Cannabis Access Laws on Opioid Prescribing"
• Speculating about impact on the opioid crisis as Ohio finally sees its first legal medical marijuana sale