In a new study, researchers found that cannabis cannot be used as a replacement drug for people with opioid use disorder.
The research was conducted by a team at McMaster University.
There is limited evidence that cannabis use may reduce opioid use in pain management, and some high-profile organizations have suggested cannabis is an ‘exit drug’ for illicit opioid use.
In the study, the team looked at all research on the effects of cannabis use on illicit opioid use during methadone maintenance therapy, which is a common treatment for opioid use disorder, and found six studies involving more than 3,600 participants.
However, the meta-analysis of the studies found cannabis use didn’t reduce illicit opioid use during treatment nor did it retain people in treatment.
The researchers say that no evidence suggests cannabis helps patients with opioid use disorder stop using opioids.
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
The lead author of the study is Zainab Samaan, MBChB Ph.D.
The study is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
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