Opioid use disorder has been an issue in society for long. Buprenorphine and methadone therapies have been used, but they are insufficient. As such, research suggests that cannabis can handle opioid use disorder. It is a critical and essential concept in enhancing population health. Detailed below is an exploration of sources that support the use of cannabis in healthcare, and a suggestion for additional research on how to improve its efficiency.
The Use of Cannabis in treating Opioid use Disorder
Cannabis has a variety of uses, hence, worth implementing in the treatment of opioid use disorder. According to Wiese (2018), the fight against opioid use disorder has not been effective in the past. Some of the approved replacement therapies include buprenorphine and methadone. These therapies are scarce, and, therefore, not easily accessed by many people in need. Cannabis can be used to fill this gap. Then also, Vyas and others in 2018 suggested that marijuana would be a cheaper and readily available replacement therapy for opioid use disorder. Consequently, this will significantly minimize the cost of healthcare. On the other hand, Carlini (2018) adds that marijuana can substantially minimize death and control chronic pain. Thus, it is a suitable alternative in the effective control of pain. Then, Kruger & Kruger (2019) assert that cannabis can be used in the medical sector to solve issues like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, chronic pain, and many others.
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Most importantly, it is worth incorporating marijuana in various medical procedures to enhance societal health (Kruger & Kruger, 2019). Besides, Piomelli and others in 2018 pointed out that marijuana will help ease the crisis in the handling of opioid use disorder. Many societies have for a long time fought against the legalization of cannabis, and more particularly, in the medial sector (Lucas, 2017). According to Wilsey and others in 2015, pressure has been mounting on how the healthcare sector can overcome the high level of skepticism in the use of cannabis as an ideal solution to opioid use disorder. The problem has led to massive deaths in society, hence, practical solutions are much wanted (Wilsey et al., 2015). Thus, it is worth using cannabis since its benefits outweigh its adverse effects on the population (Reiman et al., 2017).
Research is Necessary to Enhance the Efficiency of Marijuana and maximise its Benefits
Despite the advantages of cannabis, there is a need to enhance its efficiency. According to Bachhuber and others in 2014, the implementation of medical laws governing the use of marijuana in the pharmaceutical sector has a profound impact on the mortality rate caused by opioid use disorder. Thus, cannabis is preferred as a way of limiting this mortality rate and ensure a healthy society in the long-run (Bachhuber et al., 2014). On the other hand, Wilkie and others in 2016 added that research can be done to limit the adverse effects associated with the use of marijuana. However, a focus should be on deriving maximum benefits from the drug (Wilkie et al., 2016). Therefore, research is being done on how to enhance the safety of using marijuana to handle opioid use disorder.
The Relation, Gaps, Contradiction, and Inconsistencies in the Sources
All the sources support the fact that cannabis is a suitable alternative therapy in dealing with opioid use disorder. However, the sources very in the depth in which they examine the issue of opioid use disorder. For instance, Bachhuber and others in 2014 suggested that more research should be done to maximize the use of cannabis and minimize on the adverse effects caused by its use. It is consistent throughout all the sources that marijuana can be implemented in the healthcare sector to fill the gap in the handling of opioid use disorder.
Conclusion
Cannabis use in handling opioid use disorder is quite vital. It is a suitable alternative therapy to buprenorphine and methadone, which are insufficient. However, research is needed to enhance its efficiency and maximize on its benefits in the medical sector. Therefore, the use of cannabis is essential in the healthcare sector unlike in the past where it was widely condemned due to its adverse effects.
References
Bachhuber, M. A., Saloner, B., Cunningham, C. O., & Barry, C. L. (2014). Medical Cannabis Laws and Opioid Analgesic Overdose Mortality in the United States, 1999-2010 . JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(10), 1668. Retrieved from https://sci-hub.tw/10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.4005
Carlini. B. (2018). Role of Medicinal Cannabis as a Substitute for Opioids in Control of Chronic Pain. Alcohol and drug institute. Retrieved from http://adai.uw.edu/pubs/pdf/2018cannabissubstituteforopioids.pdf
Kruger, D. J., & Kruger, J. S. (2019). Medical Cannabis Users’ Comparisons between Medical Cannabis and Mainstream Medicine. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 1–6. Retrieved from https://sci-hub.tw/https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2018.1563314
Lucas P. (2017). Rationale for cannabis-based interventions in the opioid overdose crisis. Harm reduction journal , 14 (1), 58. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5563007/
Piomelli, D., Weiss, S., Boyd, G., Pacula, R. L., & Cooper, Z. (2018). Cannabis and the Opioid Crisis. Cannabis and cannabinoid research , 3 (1), 108-116. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5931647/
Reiman, A., Welty, M., & Solomon, P. (2017). Cannabis as a Substitute for Opioid-Based Pain Medication: Patient Self-Report. Cannabis and cannabinoid research , 2 (1), 160-166. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5569620/
Vyas, M. B., LeBaron, V. T., & Gilson, A. M. (2018). The use of cannabis in response to the opioid crisis: A review of the literature. Nursing Outlook, 66(1), 56–65. Retrieved from https://sci-hub.tw/10.1016/j.outlook.2017.08.012
Wiese, B., & Wilson-Poe, A. R. (2018). Emerging Evidence for Cannabis' Role in Opioid Use Disorder. Cannabis and cannabinoid research , 3 (1), 179-189. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6135562/
Wilkie, G., Sakr, B., & Rizack, T. (2016). Medical Marijuana Use in Oncology. JAMA Oncology, 2(5), 670. Retrieved from https://sci-hub.tw/10.1001/jamaoncol.2016.0155
Wilsey, B., Atkinson, J. H., Marcotte, T. D., & Grant, I. (2015). The Medicinal Cannabis Treatment Agreement: Providing Information to Chronic Pain Patients Through a Written Document. The Clinical journal of pain , 31 (12), 1087-96. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4417655/
