Study: Marijuana Blocks Opiate Dependance

[twstedroads]

Interesting Article/Thought....

July 9, 2009 - Paris, France

Paris, France: The administration of oral THC in rats suppresses sensitivity to opiate dependence, according to preclinical findings published in the June 24 issue of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

An international team of researchers from France and Canada assessed the impact oral THC (dronabinol) exposure in maternally deprived rats. (Rats that are deprived of their mothers immediately after birth are far more vulnerable to opiate dependence than non-deprived subjects.)

"[D]ronabinol treatment on maternally deprived rats normalized ... morphine consumption and suppressed sensitivity to morphine conditioning," researchers reported. "These findings point to the self-medication use of cannabis in subgroups of individuals subjected to adverse postnatal environment(s)."

Clinical data published this month in the July/August issue of the American Journal on Addictions reported that drug treatment subjects who used cannabis intermittently were more likely to adhere to treatment for opioid dependence.

Commenting on the studies, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, "These findings undermine the notion that cannabis is a so-called 'gateway' to hard drug use. Rather, these results indicate that in certain populations marijuana may be a useful tool for deterring the initiation or continuation of hard drug abuse."

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Adolescent exposure to delta-9-THC blocks opiate dependence in maternally deprived rats," appears in Psychopharmacology.source: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7926

what do you guys think of this?

EDIT: oh, and a big F-YOU to the methadone clinics penalizing you for UAs with THC found. More proof they are after your money over your well-being. they don't research or consider anything unless it will make them more money.

[Duckfeet]

Just about everybody I know has tried that one...and not had much luck at it...my take, is that *people* that are off opiates, are craving opiates, and that their brains are desperately trying to find a way to use "reason" to get them to go cop some dope...and pot--like alcohol--just throws some fried neurotransmitters into the mix...rats are just pissed cuz they can't get tattoos: they prefer speed anyway....
"Reason is, and ought to be, only the slave of the passions," as David Hume accurately pointed out. "Passions" of course, including "desires," both mental and physical...we be cooked gooses, really. fucking cruel as shit, what we do to poor rats anyway: taking them away from their mamas at birth...and then forcefully getting them all strung out...the human race really needs to die out....

[Paregoric Kid]

I imagine a rat that gets to take drugs has a better life than one that gets eaten alive by a snake lol
I believe cannabis is amazing for withdrawal, it doesn't work so good for everyone though. there is research into this, it is really a shame it isn't an available treatment everywhere.

[JTDuffet]

Hey guys, I am a regular smoker of cannabis, and have been smoking daily for the last 18 years almost, but no, when i am sick off dope, cannibus didn't seem to help that much, maybe a little, but not that much. what I do find is.. that when I am sober off dope, and am craving it.. if I smoke some weed, all of a sudden, the paranoia and high associated with weed causes me to NOT want to do the dope. anyone else notice this?

-jt

[LongKissGoodNite]

Yea weed doesn't help for shit when i'm kicking .. but when I was chipping .. I was able to do so because I would smoke when I wasn't bombing hydros down the hatch.

I'm not sure I understand the article completely, is it saying that weed causes one to not crave opiates or is it saying it BLOCKS dependance? That wouldnt make sense .. I smoke weed and I'll still get strung out as fuck. I guess its trying to imply it will stave off desires for opiates.

I know plenty of people who were methamphetamine users and when finally got clean had to smoke weed all the time to keep from doing benders on crystal-light.

[Larkin]

Before and during the time of my using I never particularly cared for weed. I didnt dislike it but i didnt like it. Actually while i was using i thought it took away from my opiates, and while i was WD it made my anxiety worse than before. Everyone thought i was crazy and said it boosted theres. not me. BUT..

Now that I havent been using, weed honestly feels a lot different for me. It reminds me of opiates in a strange way. It also takes care of all my urges and once im lit i just say to myself "nah you dont wanna take anything" and thats it! Maybe im just weird/crazy, or maybe there is some kind of link. It has definitely helped me though.

[zketrouble]

Well there are many ways of interpreting this...I interpret it as such:


If hypothetical man "Rasta Brownstone," having never taken any opiates, started smoking opium only in combination with ganja, than he would become physically dependant on his opiate of choice slower.

I'm sure many of you know specifically how opium addiction works. Opiates mimic your body's endorphins...and your body is programmed to say "ok. we have WAAAAAY to much of this shit in our body. We are going to stop producing these neurotransmitters." Then when the opiate is taken out of the picture, your body is still programmed (god didn't progam our bodies too well you see) to slow the production of the essential neurotransmitter endorphin. Something that would normally be endurable (such as a small amount of friction in your joints) I'm sure you all know can be quite painful when in WD. Your body's natural painkiller is out of the picture.

SOOOOOOOOOOOO if there was some sort of medicine (maybe weed) that could re-program your body to CONTINUE producing these essential neurotransmitters AFTER your opiate trip is finished, then there would be no physical withdrawal. The problem is that after an H or OC or whatever trip, your body's supply of neurotransmitters is often exhausted. So, whatever drug/drugs used in dependance treatment would have to also have the ability to rebuild the body's endorphin supply. I doubt that weed does this, but the fact that it gets you eating = more vitamins = your body has the components necessary to rebuild the endorphin supply. This is much unlike most intoxicating substances which actually supress your appetite.

Most of this is all theoretical of course, but hey its a start.

[bearmtn2]

Kinda of a prob for those of us fine citizens who enjoy a bit of both: cannabis and opiates.

[HandMeSomeOpiates]

Definitely helps me in W/D. If I had a constant supplier of really cheap kind buds I would really have a great chance at stopping opiates.

[CrushNSniff]

Blocking dependance altogether? I'm skeptical of that claim, but there's no doubt marijuana acts as a potentiator, so in a way it can reduce dependance but not eliminate it completely.

If two people take the same dose for 6 months and then person 1 starts smoking pot, person 1's gonna be alot higher than person 2, but if person 1 started smoking at the beginning of the 6 months, and stops smoking later person 2 will need a lower dose than person 1 now, because person 1 needs to compensate for the lack of potentiation.

So in a way it can delay tolerance as long as you don't run out of pot and have to escalate opiod use to stay at the same high. Using the pot allows you to take a much lower dose of opiates and still get the same high as using a much higher dose without the pot, so it could help when it comes time to quit or reduce because you're already taking less.

[zketrouble]

Blocking dependance altogether? I'm skeptical of that claim, but there's no doubt marijuana acts as a potentiator, so in a way it can reduce dependance but not eliminate it completely.

If two people take the same dose for 6 months and then person 1 starts smoking pot, person 1's gonna be alot higher than person 2, but if person 1 started smoking at the beginning of the 6 months, and stops smoking later person 2 will need a lower dose than person 1 now, because person 1 needs to compensate for the lack of potentiation.

So in a way it can delay tolerance as long as you don't run out of pot and have to escalate opiod use to stay at the same high. Using the pot allows you to take a much lower dose of opiates and still get the same high as using a much higher dose without the pot, so it could help when it comes time to quit or reduce because you're already taking less.


true true