Hi there Guys,
Today I came across an interesting post on some marijuana addiction research that is happening here in Australia.
Currently there are treatments to help reduce the cravings if you are quitting alcohol or cigarettes, however for regular marijuana users there have been no treatments available.
For those withdrawing from marijuana there can be significant side effects including sleeplessness, anger, irritability and even paranoia. If you have been smoking marijuana with tobacco then there is the doublely addictive properties of both the pot and the nicotine.
Good news is on the horizon with development of a spray that may help reduce the symptoms of marijuana withdrawal.
As reported at Medical News:
Researchers at the University of NSW hope a cannabis-based mouth spray, prescribed to multiple sclerosis sufferers and not available in Australia, could be used to help people quit marijuana. The drug, Sativex, which is a mouth spray, contains two of the main cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant; tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
It was the combination of both that gave Sativex potential, said Jan Copeland, who is leading the world-first study through the university’s National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre. “The smoked cannabis available on the market has had almost all the CBD taken out of it, which is almost considered the ‘good’ cannabinoid, while THC is associated with getting stoned,” Professor Copeland said. “The good thing about Sativex, it returns CBD to the compound, and in treating symptoms of withdrawal it can dampen down the effects of THC on the patients’ receptor systems without them getting stoned.”
The mouth spray, which the university has been authorized to use, would be given in low doses in a monitored environment every six hours, she added. Disrupted sleep, difficulty functioning and anger were common withdrawal symptoms and the main cause of relapse, Professor Copeland said.
There is also hope that the compounds found in this spray may be helpful for people living with chronic pain and other debilitating conditions.
Yours in good health.
Dr George
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