Editorial: Opioid overdose and harm reduction approaches to combat the looming crisis

Abstract

April CITATIONGunturu S and Jaka S ( ) Editorial: Opioid overdose and harm reduction approaches to combat the looming crisis.

The Role of Medicinal Cannabis as an Emerging Therapy for Opioid Use Disorder

“…Hence, the introduction of long-acting opioids, albeit highly regulated, was peddled as a revolutionary treatment that would reduce feelings of euphoria while concurrently avoiding the effects of withdrawal [ 12 ]. In the current landscape, harm reduction through the use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD)—also known as opioid substitution therapy or opioid maintenance therapy—is a well-established and pragmatic approach to the treatment of OUD [ 17 , 19 , 20 ]. Treatments with MOUD involve the use of opioid agonists, such as methadone and buprenorphine, and less commonly opioid antagonists, such as naltrexone, to reduce or stop the inappropriate use of opioids [ 19 , 21 ].…”

“…Nonetheless, these drawbacks have inspired innovative solutions to potential diversions; for example, the oral films adhere to the oral mucosa quite rapidly making them difficult to remove and therefore be diverted. Additionally, the films are formulated with naloxone, a µ-opioid receptor antagonist, to diminish the euphoric effects if the films are manipulated and injected [ 12 , 20 ]. Furthermore, buprenorphine claims advantages over methadone with its ability to achieve a quicker therapeutic effect when titrating doses, fewer drug interactions and a lesser tendency for overdose [ 17 , 21 , 23 ].…”

“…Notably, while cannabis may show promise as a potential MOUD, it should not be considered a standalone solution for opioid addiction [ 20 ]. The lack of robust evidence together with inconsistent and varying regulations create legal and ethical challenges for clinicians who are trying to balance patient autonomy with public safety concerns [ 93 , 95 ].…”

The Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol in Revolutionising Opioid Use Disorder Management

“…Additionally, CBD may have the potential as an adjunct treatment for prescription opioids due to endocannabinoid-opioid interactions, which may reduce the amount of opioids required in pain management [ 53 ]. In particular, a study demonstrated that combination treatments using CBD and prescription opioids resulted in hyper-additive pain relief, resulting in overall reduced opioid use and side effects [ 72 ]. However, it is a novel outlook into the adjunctive role of CBD in pain management as a non-opioid therapeutic option that may reduce prescription opioid use to ameliorate the opioid crisis.…”