Can Marijuana Be Used To Treat Opiate Addiction?

 

Opiate addiction can be devastating. Those who have been touched by it know the pain it can cause, and how difficult it can be to treat. That is why Cape Cod clinical psychologist Shelley Stormo is considering alternative treatment methods. In particular, Stormo has broached the possibility of utilizing medical marijuana to help treat and prevent opiate addiction.

Stormo proposes using marijuana as a sort of "reverse gateway" drug. After all, it is not a substance that can cause physical addiction, and marijuana has never been the lone drug cited in an overdose situation. It grows out of the earth, and has long been used by indigenous peoples for its medicinal qualities. Some professionals believe that if an opiate user is given marijuana instead of opiates, the high provided by the marijuana will help alleviate the urge for opiates. Stormo asserts that marijuana can actually be used to prevent addiction from forming in the first place. If something as relatively benign as marijuana is taken up before opiates or other harder drugs, then she hopes the user will not progress on to those harder drugs at all.

While marijuana is definitely not crack cocaine, it's not bubblegum either. It may not be present in physical addiction situations, but it certainly can cause emotional addiction. No one knows this better that Dr. Kevin Hill, a psychiatrist at McLean Hospital who specializes in people who are hooked on marijuana. His research indicates that almost 10% of adults and over 15% of adolescents who use marijuana grow addicted. Dr. Hill does not see the drug as a viable alternative to opiates, because there is such a risk for an entirely new addiction.

The overall feeling of the medical community is that there is currently inadequate research to support Stormo's proposal. Much work would need to be done in order to make marijuana an opiate addiction treatment option.

Opiate addiction may have wreaked havoc, but it does not have to continue. Reach out, and use the resources that are available to you. You can start by simply following us, and we can provide you with more information on drug abuse and treatment.