Adults Who Mix Cannabis with Opioids for Pain Report Higher Anxiety, Depression

Posted on August 15, 2019

Marijuana and opioids are both substances which are able to help reduce chronic pain in consumers, but there have been no prior studies related to the co-consumption of opioids and cannabis in reducing pain.

Opioids are widely prescribed as a medication to curb chronic pain, but the misuse of this substance is significantly linked to health issues as well as other negative outcomes. On the other hand, cannabis is newly introduced into this field as a potential treatment for combating chronic pain and is gradually becoming a more popular option.

A new study was conducted with 450 adults in the United States who are suffering moderate to severe pain for over three months. Findings suggested that individuals who use both cannabis and opioids to manage their pain reported having more anxiety and depressive symptoms. Consuming both substances also increased the use of alcohol and other drugs like tobacco and cocaine in participants.

Additionally, participants did not feel that there was greater pain reduction after using both cannabis and opioids to deal with their pain. Researchers have noted that co-using more than one type of substances is often less effective than just using one drug, although there has been little research into mixing opioids and marijuana.

The study originated from the purpose of determining if cannabis is indeed a safer alternative to other medications, as it is a relatively new option for individuals with chronic pain. The results of this study underlined the need to develop better treatments targeting chronic pain for poly-substance users who are at risk of worsening their mental health.


Category(s):Addictions, Anxiety, Chronic Pain, Depression, Drug Addiction

Source material from Science Daily