Most people who used cannabis for opioid withdrawal said it helped, especially for anxiety and sleep | Research

The takeaway

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.

People in opioid withdrawal, addiction medicine specialists, and cannabis policy researchers.

62.5% used cannabis for withdrawal; only 6% said it worsened

What the researchers 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.

Why it 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 numbers in context

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 the study worked

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.

What this study cannot 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.

How to read the evidence

Online convenience sample with self-reported outcomes and no clinical verification.

When this study was published

2020 survey.

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.

Questions still open

Would controlled clinical trials confirm these self-reported benefits? Why do women report greater withdrawal relief from cannabis?

Common 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.

Read the original research

The impact of naturalistic cannabis use on self-reported opioid withdrawal.

Journal of substance abuse treatment, 113, 108005

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

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