Most people who used cannabis for opioid withdrawal said it helped, especially for anxiety and sleep
Among 200 people with opioid and cannabis use, 62.5% had used cannabis to treat withdrawal, with most reporting improvement in anxiety, tremors, and sleep, while only 6% said cannabis worsened their withdrawal.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
62.5% (125/200) had used cannabis to treat opioid withdrawal. Cannabis most commonly improved anxiety, tremors, and trouble sleeping. Only 6% (12 participants) reported cannabis worsened withdrawal, specifically yawning, teary eyes, and runny nose. Across all symptoms, more participants reported improvement than worsening with cannabis. Women reported greater withdrawal relief than men.
Key Numbers
200 participants. 62.5% used cannabis for withdrawal. Improved: anxiety, tremors, sleep. Worsened in 6%: yawning, teary eyes, runny nose. Women reported greater relief.
How They Did This
Online survey of 200 individuals recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk with past-month opioid and cannabis use and opioid withdrawal experience. Participants rated symptom changes with and without cannabis.
Why This Research Matters
Four US states had legalized medical cannabis for opioid use disorder treatment. Self-reported data on which withdrawal symptoms cannabis helps or worsens can guide clinical research priorities.
The Bigger Picture
The sex difference (women reporting greater relief) is notable and may reflect differences in withdrawal severity, cannabis response, or reporting patterns between men and women.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Self-report survey via MTurk. No verification of opioid use disorder or withdrawal. Retrospective recall. No control group. Cannabis dose and type unknown.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would controlled clinical trials confirm these self-reported benefits?
- ?Why do women report greater withdrawal relief from cannabis?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 62.5% used cannabis for withdrawal; only 6% said it worsened
- Evidence Grade:
- Online convenience sample with self-reported outcomes and no clinical verification.
- Study Age:
- 2020 survey.
- Original Title:
- The impact of naturalistic cannabis use on self-reported opioid withdrawal.
- Published In:
- Journal of substance abuse treatment, 113, 108005 (2020)
- Authors:
- Bergeria, Cecilia L(7), Huhn, Andrew S(4), Dunn, Kelly E(4)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02416
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis help with opioid withdrawal?
In this self-report survey, 62.5% of people with opioid withdrawal experience had used cannabis to manage it, with most reporting improvement in anxiety, tremors, and sleep. Only 6% said cannabis made symptoms worse.
Which withdrawal symptoms does cannabis improve?
Participants most commonly reported improvement in anxiety, tremors, and trouble sleeping. The small group who reported worsening cited symptoms like yawning, teary eyes, and runny nose.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02416APA
Bergeria, Cecilia L; Huhn, Andrew S; Dunn, Kelly E. (2020). The impact of naturalistic cannabis use on self-reported opioid withdrawal.. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 113, 108005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2020.108005
MLA
Bergeria, Cecilia L, et al. "The impact of naturalistic cannabis use on self-reported opioid withdrawal.." Journal of substance abuse treatment, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2020.108005
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "The impact of naturalistic cannabis use on self-reported opi..." RTHC-02416. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/bergeria-2020-the-impact-of-naturalistic
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.