Study: CBD reduces cravings in heroin addicts

In the United States, the death rate from overdose is now higher than that from road accidents, firearms or AIDS. This situation is largely due to the opioid crisis in the USA, and raises the urgent question of remedies for addiction. Prescribed by prescription, opioid painkillers are highly addictive, leading many patients to turn to hard drugs, including heroin, once they have been deprived of their treatment. This study conducted on heroin addicts suggests that CBD attenuates the urges to consume.

A study that goes further

Some studies already suggest that CBD can help treat multiple addictions (alcohol, tobacco, methamphetamine, opioids). Still others show that the availability of medical cannabis is associated with fewer opioid prescriptions and lower overdose mortality rates. However, this is the first time a study has looked directly at the effect of CBD intake on the behavior of an abstinent addict when subjected to incentives.

This study, published in the’American Journal of Psychiatry, was conducted by researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. They studied 42 individuals with problematic heroin use who agreed to abstain during the program. Some were given a placebo, others CBD - 400mg or 800mg - orally. They were then asked to watch a video in which, amidst neutral images, drug-related signals (syringes, powder packets, etc.) appeared.

During the viewing, the researchers measured their craving and anxiety through psychological and physiological factors: variations in heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature and blood oxygen levels. These physiological variations are symptomatic of craving. Measurements were taken immediately after viewing the video, 24 hours later and one week later.

Promising results

The researchers found a significant difference between placebo and CBD: individuals who consumed CBD were much less prone to craving and urges to consume in the short and long term. These results are in line with those found in a preliminary animal study. They suggest that the effects of CBD are real and long-lasting. The researchers also note the absence of cognitive effects and undesirable side effects.

«Our results indicate that CBD is very promising for treating people with heroin addiction,» explain the researchers. It would also seem that CBD could be effective for addiction in general: «The specific effects of CBD on craving and anxiety induced by drug-taking cues are particularly important for the development of addiction therapies». The researchers point out that such cues in the patient's environment are major causes of relapse and continued use».

Two in-depth studies are planned: one to explore the mechanisms of CBD on the brain, the other to determine the best possible formulations to treat the opioid epidemic. Yasmin Hurd, lead author of the research and Director of the Institute on Addictions at Mount Sinai Hospital, explains that she launched the study «to address the urgent need for new treatment options for the millions of individuals and families who are devastated by this epidemic».