Cannabis reduces consumption of opiate drugs

Cannabis is still illegal in France, but new research from the University of New Mexico further undermine the theory of « the rise of drugs«, according to which cannabis use is a gateway to harder drugs.

According to the study, cannabis may even discourage users from trying other drugs such as cocaine or ecstasy.

The study followed 125 participants for 5 years. All participants suffered from chronic pain. Eighty-three used cannabis to treat their pain in addition to their conventional treatment, while 42 did not.

Researchers found that 34.1% of cannabis users stopped taking the painkillers prescribed by their doctors, compared with just 21% of people who did not use cannabis.

This American study is particularly significant in the current context, as the country is grappling with an opioid use and overdose epidemic. «The current opioid epidemic is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, claiming more lives than car accidents and gun violence,» explains Jacob Miguel Vigil, the researcher and psychology professor leading the study.

«For this reason, the relative safety and efficacy of cannabis compared to other approved medications should be taken into account by healthcare providers and lawmakers,» he said reported to Konbini.

He also explains that painkillers and street heroin kill 90 people a day in the United States—500,000 Americans between 2000 and 2015—while Cannabis has never killed anyone.

His research team will now examine how patients use and are affected by opioids, benzodiazepines, and medical cannabis for use in the treatment of serious illnesses.