Cannabis Is an Exit Drug, Not Gateway
New UBC Studies Shows Dramatic Results Treating Opioid Addiction with Cannabis – LPC
Two new studies shows cannabis is an exit drug for those using opioid-based drugs like heroin. One study found that people who took cannabis every day for six months are 24 per cent more likely to stop injecting drugs.
“(Cannabis is) an exit ramp and not a gateway like all the drug war propaganda has led us to believe,” said Scarlett Nelson. She co-authored one of the studies, but also knows firsthand. Nelson took both heroin and meth before cannabis helped her get off it when she was expecting her daughter.
“I was at my rock bottom. My getting pregnant was kind of a god-save,” Nelson said. “And cannabis helped make that possible.”
The studies come from BC Centre on Substance Use and the University of British Columbia (UBC).
Researchers have long explored cannabis as a solution to the opioid crisis. Cannabis has also been studied to treat related conditions including insomnia, PTSD, and other mental health issues.
This new research adds to that knowledge. Another reason researchers say cannabis is an exit drug is that it can treat multiple symptoms: pain, mental health, and trauma.
“These are young people who are navigating multiple crises, the toxic drug supply and the overdose crisis, the housing crisis and homelessness, and COVID-19’s social isolation,” said Danya Fast, a researcher and UBC assistant professor. “Cannabis helps them to deal with the everyday emergencies of those crises.”
More Research Needed to Prove Cannabis is an Exit Drug
More research is needed to balance the benefits with the risks. But even if cannabis addiction, it’s hard to argue it’s worse than a heroin addiction. Showing cannabis is an exit drug might be the best way to help those struggling with opioid addiction.
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