It's no secret that the opioid epidemic has been ravaging the United States for years. With the number of opioid-related deaths continuing to rise, it's clear that something needs to be done to address this issue. One potential solution is cannabidiol (CBD), a compound found in the cannabis plant. While it's not an opioid, it has been shown to have some promising effects in reducing anxiety and preventing drug use behavior.
In this article, we'll explore how CBD may be able to help prevent opioid addiction. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warning letters to two companies for illegally selling unapproved products containing CBD in a manner that violates the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). This action is a continuation of FDA efforts to prosecute companies that illegally market CBD products with the claim that they can treat medical conditions, including opioid addiction, or as an alternative to opioids.
According to the FD&C Act, any product intended to treat a disease or that has a therapeutic or medical use, and any product (other than a food) intended to affect the structure or function of the body of humans or animals, is a drug. The FDA has not approved any CBD product other than a prescription drug for humans to treat severe and rare forms of epilepsy. Unlike FDA-approved drugs, the FDA has not evaluated whether these unapproved products are effective for their intended use, what the appropriate dosage might be, how they might interact with FDA-approved drugs, or if they have dangerous side effects or other safety concerns. In addition, the manufacturing process for unapproved CBD drugs has not been reviewed by the FDA as part of the approval processes for drugs for humans or animals. Despite this, there is some evidence that CBD may be able to help prevent opioid addiction. Dr.
Hurd reasoned that it was time to test CBD on a large number of people due to its potential to meet several criteria for a safe approach to preventing drug use behavior. It's not an opioid, it's not addictive, it's relatively long-lasting, and it seems to reduce anxiety, something common among people with substance use disorders. In March 2020, the FDA released updates on its work related to CBD products with a focus on protecting public health and providing clarity to the market. The FDA remains concerned that some people mistakenly think that the large number of CBD products on the market have been evaluated by the FDA and determined to be safe, or that the use of CBD “can't hurt.” The FDA remains focused on educating the public on the number of questions that remain to be resolved regarding the safety of CBD. For this reason, it's important for consumers to talk to a health professional about the best way to treat diseases or conditions with existing and approved treatment options. There may be risks that need to be considered before using CBD products outside the supervised setting of a prescription from your healthcare provider. In addition, Dr.
Boehnke is starting clinical studies to see if CBD can prevent people from craving heroin. After a few days, rats given CBD were less likely to search for heroin induced by environmental signals. This suggests that CBD may be able to block cravings for opioids in humans as well. The team also focused on 878 people with fibromyalgia who said they were using CBD products. The observed effects of CBD in reducing anxiety-like behavior may be due to its ability to stimulate serotonin receptors, which are molecular targets of drugs used to treat anxiety and depression.
The finding that products containing only CBD also relieved pain and were replaced by pain relievers is promising and deserves future study. Clinically, opening up lines of discussion about the use of CBD for chronic pain is imperative for reasons of drug safety as well as improving patient care. If the results of clinical trials confirm its previous results and block cravings for opioids, a company may be willing to continue developing CBD as a treatment option. Although recreational marijuana contains very little CBD, it's important for consumers to understand what they're buying when purchasing products containing this compound. This means that what you buy may have too little or too much CBD as well as other substances such as flavors or even impurities. In conclusion, while more research needs to be done on how effective CBD is in preventing opioid addiction, there is some evidence suggesting that it may be able to help reduce cravings and anxiety associated with opioid use disorder. If you're considering using CBD products outside of a prescription from your healthcare provider, make sure you talk with them first about any potential risks involved.
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