Canadian Study Shows Cannabis Can Help Addicts Reduce Their Meth Consumption

Scientists from the University of British Columbia recently discovered that marijuana has the potential to help addicts control their craving for illegal drugs such as crystal methamphetamine.

A study, published in Addictive Behaviors, analyzed 297 drug users from Vancouver, and revealed that 134 of them have managed to minimize their stimulant use thanks to cannabis. The research was led by Dr. Hudson Reddon from the BC Centre on Substance Use, Dr. Zach Walsh from UBC Okanagan and Dr. M-J Milloy from UBC Vancouver.

"Our findings are not conclusive but do add to the growing scientific evidence that cannabis might be a beneficial tool for some people who want to better control their unregulated stimulant use, particularly for people who use crystal meth," stated Reddon, the lead author of the study. "This suggests a new direction for harm reduction strategies among people who use drugs."

Around 45% of the research’s participants confirmed marijuana consumption to manage their craving for stimulant drugs in the last six months, such as powder cocaine, crack cocaine and methamphetamines. 

"While these findings are promising, they underscore the need for more comprehensive studies to understand the full potential of cannabis in the context of the overdose crisis," said Walsh.

While participants notably reduced crystal met use, crack cocaine users did not have similar significant success. 

"These findings indicate that cannabis use to manage stimulant cravings is a common harm reduction strategy and suggest that this may be an effective strategy to reduce stimulant use among some PWUD [people who use unregulated drugs]," the paper reads. 

 The study was supported by the US National Institutes of Health and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

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Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Kaesler Media via Shutterstock and Roman Kasyan on Unsplash