The increasing abuse of Percocet and other opiate drugs is also leading to an increase in heroin use...

1. Cannabis-based Medicines for Opiate Dependence -
Philadelphia medical marijuana
The increasing abuse of Percocet and other
opiate drugs is also leading to an increase in
heroin use, and skyrocketing amount of
people seeking treatment for opiate
dependence:
A short slide show highlighting a few studies on Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Opiate Dependence
Research.
Lichtman 2013, Raby 2009, Marcu 2013
o According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, over 100,000
individuals were admitted to the emergency department for painkiller abuse, such as a Percocet
overdose. By 2008, the number of admissions to the emergency department had almost doubled to
over 300,000.
o The Drug Abuse Warning Network issued a report in 2010 that detailed how the non-medical use
of prescription pain relievers continues to be a public health issue in the United States that warrants
serious concern.
o Emergency Department visits involving oxycodone products, such as Percocet, increased by 152%
between 2004 and 2008.
Treatments for opioid dependence with drugs such as methadone or conventional medications run
the risk of making the patient addicted or dependent on the medication. Conventional treatments for
opiate dependence can induce severe withdrawal symptoms if the medication is stopped abruptly. A
great need remains for the development of non-opioid drug therapies that have less dependence and
abuse liability.

2. Since about the 1970s THC showed promise as a treatment of opiate dependence and withdrawal. It
is yet to be specifically included for existing medical marijuana laws, despite strong evidence for its
benefits. The plant remains off the table because of its status as schedule I narcotic.
The use of Cannabis to treat drug dependence is an old idea. In the late 1800s the Lancet published
an article on a fairly successful treatment for opiate addiction, available in the form of a Cannabis
tincture. The use of this plant to treat substance abuse disorders also appears in ancient Indian texts
and Ayurvedic literature. A recent survey of medical marijuana patients suggested that there is a
significant population currently using it as an "exit drug" or as a substitute for Alcohol and other
drugs. Intermittent marijuana use has been shown to improve retention in opiate dependence
treatment programs.
The active ingredients in Cannabis interact with the endocannabinoid system within our body. This
system consists of receptors, ligands (endocannabinoids), and proteins for synthesis and breakdown
of endocannabinoids. Modern day researchers are studying these receptors and the natural THC-like
compounds in our body for the treatment of various aspects of opiate dependence and withdrawal.
For example, researchers in the laboratory of Dr. Aron Lichtman are studying a drug code named
JZL-184. JZL-184 inhibits the proteins that breakdown endocannabinoids, thus increasing the
amount of endocannabinoids available to interact with receptors. In Lichtman's animal study, high
doses of JZL-184 significantly blocked all signs of opioid withdrawal.
As more states pass laws allowing the use of medical marijuana, opiate addiction should be under
consideration as a qualifying condition. In addition to potentially helping a severely afflicted group of
people, this would greatly help researchers to overcome the barriers to studying Cannabis and
refining the plant as a medicine. There is a great need for new effective treatments of opiate
addiction that are: non-toxic, have a low addiction potential, and do not cause severe withdrawal
symptoms in opiate dependent patients.