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Can cannabis wean addicts off heroin and other opiates? These drugs are now killing more Americans than the Vietnam War. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 64,000 people died in 2016 due to an overdose of these drugs. It is a scourge against humanity, one that has become public enemy number one in the eyes of a population who have lost friends and family to this debilitating disease. But no one seems to have the solution.
Last year, President Trump deemed the opioid epidemic a national health crisis. Yet the efforts put forward have not been enough to stop the bleeding. Much of the focus is on providing addicts with more treatment options. Yet, these programs preach abstinence. They force recovering addicts to refrain from all intoxicating substances. Even marijuana.
Unfortunately, these rehab centers have only about a 30 percent success rate. After all, if heroin and other opiates were easy to kick, it wouldn’t be a problem. So, what happens to the other group who needs an alternative to abstinence-only treatments? Are we talking about harm reduction rather than total sobriety? Can cannabis wean addicts off heroin and other opiates?
Marijuana-Based Rehab
There is evidence that marijuana-based rehabs might be a solution to taming the addict daze. While other programs force people addicted to heroin and other opiates to stay clean, these alternative rehabs have looser policies.
It is more about progress rather than perfection. And for many addicts, the best progress that can be made is staying away from dangerous opioids.
The philosophy behind this treatment model is to give