Believe it or not, one of the rising remedies for a myriad of ailments might also be helpful in the alleviation of opioid addiction. CBD oil may prove extremely handy in the fight against the United States Opioid crisis.
A health system known as Mount Sinai conducted a study this past May revealing significant success in relieving drug-related cues in abusers of Opioids such as heroin and prescription pain relievers.
To provide a bit of background, Mount Sinai defines itself on its website as “an integrated health care system providing exceptional medical care to our local and global communities.”
With an estimated number of at least 2 million people in the United States suffering from Opioid addiction, the field of psychology is searching for the most cutting-edge ways to treat drug abuse sustainably. It’s no doubt that the opioid crisis is, indeed, a widespread epidemic affecting individuals and their loved ones in the most negative of ways. Unfortunately, large pharmaceutical companies have encouraged a lot of this.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, “Nearly One in Three People Know Someone Addicted to Opioids [and] More than half of Millennials believe it is Easy to Get Illegal Opioids.”
A Background On CBD Oil
Cannabidiol or CBD, is a chemical compound found in the cannabis plant, which has two primary species: hemp and marijuana. Recently, the FDA approved CBD to be sold in the United States to the general public. CBD can be smoked, rubbed on one’s body for pain relief, or mixed into recipe via tinctures.
CBD does not get you high, however, it is known to bring about feelings of calm and relaxation. National scientific institutes frequently tested CBD products this past year, some of which argued that Cannabidiol might be able to fight inflammation, help with pain relief, lessen the frequency of seizures, and even more.
CBD May Be The Next Treatment Avenue For Substance Abuse
Up until the most recent decade, only therapies such as 12-step programs, support groups, traditional cognitive behavioral therapy, medically assisted treatment (with therapies such as Suboxone or methadone), and pharmaceutical medications have been used by the addiction treatment field. However, more and more US citizens are also finding that pharmaceuticals can sport some severe side effects that outweigh their benefits.
The amount of non-opioid treatment options for opioid addiction, as well, has been severely limited. Not only this, but for many people, pharmaceuticals don’t work long-term; luckily, the safe and practically side-effect-free substance of CBD oil might.
Mount Sinai’s study was a double-blind trial testing the use of CBD oil in fighting cravings for opioids. One group received a placebo, while the other received CBD oil for the treatment of their desires for drugs. Mount Sinai’s trial results “revealed that CBD tended to reduce physiological measures of stress reactivity, such as increased heart rate and cortisol levels, that are induced by drug cues.” By cues, Sinai means cravings for opioids.
Although many arguments claiming CBD helps their various ailments are speculative, and more research must be done to deem CBD as a fool-proof effective method for treating addiction in the United States, CBD seems to have promise. It is also important to remember that buying a reputable brand of CBD is extremely important, as not every business in the market of selling CBD products is trustworthy.
Addiction is often not treated through just one methodology, but of many. The more angles by one treat their addiction, often, the more successful their recovery is. Therefore, if CBD were approved for the treatment of addiction in the future, professionals would likely use it in conjunction with other means of treatment.