Cannabis Use Didn't Prevent Methadone Patients from Keeping Take-Home Privileges | Research

The takeaway

Most methadone patients who continued using THC maintained their take-home medication privileges for 10 months during COVID-era relaxed regulations.

Addiction medicine specialists, opioid treatment program administrators, harm reduction policymakers

What the researchers found

Among 33 patients in an opioid treatment program with relaxed COVID-era take-home rules, the majority with continuing THC use remained eligible for take-home methadone for 10 months. Most were employed, insured, and stably housed. Log Rank Tests on socioeconomic predictors showed no statistical significance.

Why it matters

Many opioid treatment programs restrict take-home methadone for patients who test positive for THC. This small study suggests that THC use alone may not predict poor outcomes, potentially supporting more flexible policies.

The numbers in context

33 patients studied. Majority maintained take-home eligibility for 10 months despite continued THC use. Most were employed, insured, and stably housed. No statistically significant socioeconomic predictors found.

How the study worked

Retrospective analysis of 33 patients at a single mid-western opioid treatment program. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis assessed months of eligibility for weekly take-home methadone among patients with continuing THC use during COVID-19 emergency regulations.

What this study cannot tell us

Very small sample size (33 patients) at a single site. No control group without THC use. Socioeconomic stability of the cohort may not be representative. COVID-era context limits generalizability to normal conditions.

How to read the evidence

Very small single-site retrospective study provides preliminary evidence but is insufficient to draw definitive conclusions about policy changes.

When this study was published

Published 2026, analyzing COVID-era (2020-2021) regulatory changes.

The bigger picture

The COVID pandemic's forced relaxation of opioid treatment rules created a natural experiment. Evidence that less restrictive THC policies didn't lead to worse outcomes could help modernize methadone program rules beyond the emergency period.

Questions still open

Would larger studies confirm that THC use doesn't affect methadone treatment outcomes? Should opioid treatment programs permanently relax THC-related restrictions? Does THC use serve a therapeutic purpose for some methadone patients?

Common questions

Does cannabis use affect methadone treatment success?

In this small study of 33 patients, continuing THC use did not prevent patients from maintaining their take-home methadone privileges for 10 months, though the study was too small to draw definitive conclusions.

Should methadone programs test for THC?

This preliminary evidence suggests THC use alone may be less important than other factors in predicting methadone treatment outcomes, potentially supporting less restrictive policies — but larger studies are needed before changing clinical practice.

Read the original research

Clinical outcomes from a mid-western opioid treatment program during covid-19 emergency regulations: a brief report on the effect of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use on take home methadone access.

Harm reduction journal, 23(1), 32

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

LaCourt, Erin T; Ibekie, Oranu; Dike, Charles C; Jegede, Oluwole. (2026). Clinical outcomes from a mid-western opioid treatment program during covid-19 emergency regulations: a brief report on the effect of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use on take home methadone access.. Harm reduction journal, 23(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-026-01399-w