No evidence for reduction of opioid-withdrawal symptoms by cannabis smoking during a methadone dose taper.
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| Title: | No evidence for reduction of opioid-withdrawal symptoms by cannabis smoking during a methadone dose taper. |
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| Authors: | Epstein, David H., Preston, Kenzie L. |
| Source: | American Journal on Addictions. Jun2015, Vol. 24 Issue 4, p323-328. 6p. 1 Chart, 1 Graph. |
| Subjects: | Opioids, Cannabis (Genus), Methadone hydrochloride, Cannabinoids, Clinical trials, Cocaine |
| Abstract: | Background and Objectives To support medication development with cannabinoids, smoked cannabis has been said to alleviate symptoms of opioid withdrawal. We evaluated that hypothesis. Methods We analyzed data from the methadone-taper phase of a clinical trial we had conducted. Participants were 116 outpatient heroin and cocaine users (of whom 46 were also cannabis users) who stayed for the 10-week taper. Main outcome measures were weekly urine screens for cannabinoids, plus every-two-week assessments of opioid-withdrawal symptoms. Results Opioid-withdrawal scores did not differ overall between users and nonusers of cannabis. In a lagged analysis in the 46 users, there was a slight (not statistically significant) indication that weeks of higher opiate-withdrawal symptoms preceded weeks of cannabis use (effect-size r = .20, 95% CI −.10 to .46, p = .52). Even if this finding is taken to suggest self-medication with cannabis, a lagged analysis in the other temporal direction showed no indication that cannabis use predicted lower opiate-withdrawal symptoms the next week (effect-size r = .01, 95% CI −.28 to .30, p = .69). These findings persisted in sensitivity analyses controlling for each of 17 potential confounds. Discussion and Conclusion With our findings, the clinical evidence for smoked cannabis as a reducer of opioid-withdrawal symptoms moves slightly further from 'inconclusive' or 'mixed' and closer to negative, at least in the context of a methadone dose taper like the one used here. Scientific Significance This finding may remove one rationale for medication development using cannabinoids to treat opioid withdrawal, but leaves other rationales intact. (Am J Addict 2015;XX: XX-XX) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of American Journal on Addictions is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Header | DbId: pbh DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection An: 102498457 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: No evidence for reduction of opioid-withdrawal symptoms by cannabis smoking during a methadone dose taper. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Epstein%2C+David+H%2E%22">Epstein, David H.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Preston%2C+Kenzie+L%2E%22">Preston, Kenzie L.</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22American+Journal+on+Addictions%22">American Journal on Addictions</searchLink>. Jun2015, Vol. 24 Issue 4, p323-328. 6p. 1 Chart, 1 Graph. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Opioids%22">Opioids</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cannabis+%28Genus%29%22">Cannabis (Genus)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Methadone+hydrochloride%22">Methadone hydrochloride</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cannabinoids%22">Cannabinoids</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Clinical+trials%22">Clinical trials</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cocaine%22">Cocaine</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Background and Objectives To support medication development with cannabinoids, smoked cannabis has been said to alleviate symptoms of opioid withdrawal. We evaluated that hypothesis. Methods We analyzed data from the methadone-taper phase of a clinical trial we had conducted. Participants were 116 outpatient heroin and cocaine users (of whom 46 were also cannabis users) who stayed for the 10-week taper. Main outcome measures were weekly urine screens for cannabinoids, plus every-two-week assessments of opioid-withdrawal symptoms. Results Opioid-withdrawal scores did not differ overall between users and nonusers of cannabis. In a lagged analysis in the 46 users, there was a slight (not statistically significant) indication that weeks of higher opiate-withdrawal symptoms preceded weeks of cannabis use (effect-size r = .20, 95% CI −.10 to .46, p = .52). Even if this finding is taken to suggest self-medication with cannabis, a lagged analysis in the other temporal direction showed no indication that cannabis use predicted lower opiate-withdrawal symptoms the next week (effect-size r = .01, 95% CI −.28 to .30, p = .69). These findings persisted in sensitivity analyses controlling for each of 17 potential confounds. Discussion and Conclusion With our findings, the clinical evidence for smoked cannabis as a reducer of opioid-withdrawal symptoms moves slightly further from 'inconclusive' or 'mixed' and closer to negative, at least in the context of a methadone dose taper like the one used here. Scientific Significance This finding may remove one rationale for medication development using cannabinoids to treat opioid withdrawal, but leaves other rationales intact. (Am J Addict 2015;XX: XX-XX) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of American Journal on Addictions is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1111/ajad.12183 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 6 StartPage: 323 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Opioids Type: general – SubjectFull: Cannabis (Genus) Type: general – SubjectFull: Methadone hydrochloride Type: general – SubjectFull: Cannabinoids Type: general – SubjectFull: Clinical trials Type: general – SubjectFull: Cocaine Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: No evidence for reduction of opioid-withdrawal symptoms by cannabis smoking during a methadone dose taper. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Epstein, David H. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Preston, Kenzie L. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 06 Text: Jun2015 Type: published Y: 2015 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 10550496 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 24 – Type: issue Value: 4 Titles: – TitleFull: American Journal on Addictions Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
