Updated on August 24th, 2023
It has all the signs of an opioid epidemic.
An alarmingly large number of Americans are addicted to narcotic painkiller drugs by the names of morphine, oxycodone (Percocet), codeine, and hydrocodone (Vicodin).
Getting off opioids when you are addicted is a monstrous task for just about anyone. It is no wonder then, that according to the American Addiction Centers the opioid relapse rate is 91%.
But does CBD for opioid withdrawal do a better job?
Let’s take a look at the facts and what some our favorite CBD oils are.
Top 3 CBD Oils for Opioid Withdrawal
We’ve reviewed the best CBD products on the market especially suited for opioid-exit therapy. Choose your preferred brand or list through all of them.
CBDistillery CBD Oil 5000 FS $0.04 / mg - Ships Outside US
- Water Soluble
- Full-Spectrum
- Joy Organics
- CBD Oil 1350
- $0.07 / mg
- Ships Outside US
- Water Soluble
- Full-Spectrum
- CBDfx
- CBD Oil 1500
- $0.06 / mg
- Ships Outside US
- Water Soluble
- Full-Spectrum
Eye-Opening Facts about the Opioid Crisis
Statistics gathered by the National Institute of Drug Abuse and other organizations show a grim picture:
- Opioid overdoses increased by 30% from 2016 – 2017 nationwide.
- The mid-west had a 70% increase during the same period.
- About 80% of heroin users have misused prescription opioids before.
- Between 21% and 29% of patients (~11 million) prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them.
- It is estimated that 4% – 6% of people misusing prescription opioids transition to heroin.
- 64,000 Americans died from a drug overdose in 2016.
- Opioid abuse in the United States is 56% higher than in the rest of the world.
What is the Best, Most Efficient Treatment for Someone Addicted to Opioids?
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, every day more than 115 Americans die due to opioid overdosing. People are often prescribed opioids for pain treatment by their regular physician.
According to Reuters, prescription painkillers kill 91 Americans each day and painkiller sales have quadrupled during the last 20 years.
But while opioids just mask the pain (instead of addressing what is causing the pain), they are also highly addictive. Many people end up abusing their prescribed medication. And even worse, later on, they may even switch to heroin or fentanyl.
According to the NIH, 33,000 Americans died due to an opioid overdose in 2015.
If you are looking for the best and most effective opioid withdrawal treatment, you’ll find that the most promoted, accepted and well-known treatments are the least effective. While the most effective methods, like CBD, are hardly recognized at all. Many reported that oils and even CBD edibles sold online have helped them reduce opioid dependency and even get rid of it.
Rehab Religion
Although most Americans believe in rehab as if it were a religion, finding success rates of different rehab programs is extremely difficult. Besides that, in-patient rehab is incredibly expensive; even a one-month non-profit drug addiction treatment could cost as much as $28,000.
Methadone and Buprenorphine Withdrawal Treatments
Methadone is another opioid itself. Although it has shown average success rates, it also comes with many side-effects. The risk of misuse is just one of the most important methadone side effects. Buprenorphine, while only a partial opioid agonist, has less risk of abuse but still has severe side-effects:
Methadone Side Effects
- Mood changes
- Drowsiness
- Headaches
- Stomach pain
- Sleeping problems
- Weight gain
- Reduction of vision
- Urinating problems
Buprenorphine Side Effects
- Sleeping problems
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Irritability
- Cramps
- Sore Muscles
- Constipation
CBD’s Opioid Armageddon
Cannabidiol is one of the opioid addiction treatments that is, so far, barely recognized. Yet, it is scientifically proven to be highly effective. In fact, major scientific studies of recent years show that cannabidiol and cannabis, in general, are effective opioid-exit treatments.
In 2014, Dr. Marcus Bachhuber researched opioid overdose mortality in the United States between 1999 and 2010. He found that medical cannabis laws can be associated with a rather significant decline in opioid overdose mortality rates. According to his analysis, overdoses fell by no less than 25% in cannabis-legal states.
In April 2017, a study conducted by the University of California in San Diego concluded that a 23% reduction in hospitalization related to opioid dependence was achieved, as a result of (high CBD) medical marijuana use.
CBD the ANTI-Gateway Drug
During the 50’s and 60’s, cannabis or marijuana was portrayed as the evil gateway drug, meaning that those who use it supposedly are prone to transition to drugs like heroin and cocaine. Scientific studies, however, debunked this propaganda and proved that this was a false association.
In addition, recent studies show that it is actually the complete opposite. Cannabidiol and cannabis in general, make it easier to stop using opioids.
The Science Behind CBD’s Success in the Opioid Battle
You don’t need to be a scientist or analyst to see the incredible similarities when comparing the opioid withdrawal effects and CBD’s list of health benefits.
Pain
Medical doctors prescribe opioids to treat pain, but opioids merely mask pain and on top of that produce a tolerance. This means that the longer you use them the less they work.
CBD, on the other hand, treats inflammation, which in most cases is the root cause of pain. Cannabidiol is also a highly effective pain reliever and ideal for chronic pain as it neither causes tolerance nor dependence.
THC is CBD’s stronger brother in terms of painkilling. So, why not toss your opioid pills for the best THC pills?
Another cannabinoid that helps with pain, infection, neuroprotection, and so on, is CBG. Nowadays, there are separate CBG oils available but also one-to-one or one-to-two mixes. But how does CBG make you feel?
Anxiety and Depression
Opioid withdrawal always involves anxiety and depression. CBD and medical cannabis have both antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties. Also, in this case, the science is there to back it up.
Nausea, Diarrhea, and Vomiting
These obvious physical opioid withdrawal symptoms are also effectively treatable with cannabidiol. If you want to know the science behind it, read our article on CBD for nausea.
Sleeping Problems, Insomnia and Exhaustion
When you are feeling terrible due to withdrawal, sleeping bad and insomnia only make things worse. They exhaust your resources and reduce your body’s ability to cope with the withdrawal.
This closes a vicious circle that is hard to escape from. The natural ability of cannabidiol to make you sleep better and longer at night while giving you loads of energy during the daytime can help you.
Sources
https://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm484109.htm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167629617311852
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871617300765
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/nov/10/health/he-addiction10
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3674771/#R2
https://www.drugabuse.gov/international/abstracts/heroin-relapse-after-withdrawal-homeostasis-yin-yang
http://www.lenus.ie/hse/bitstream/10147/110022/1/Article5260.pdf
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/treatment-recovery
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851054/
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis
https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/opiate-addiction/how-to-get-off-opiates/#gref
http://nationalpainreport.com/prescription-opioid-withdrawal-first-aid-and-beyond-8836278.html
https://swellfarmacy.com/cbd-is-successful-as-a-treatment-for-opioid-withdrawal/
https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/18/health/opioid-crisis-fast-facts/index.html
https://www.newsweek.com/opioid-marijuana-legal-states-hospital-overdose-addiction-575385
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-addiction-medical-marijuana-idUSKBN16Y2HVBest CBD for Opioid Withdrawal
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