You probably have opioids at home
The term “opioids” refers to a class of substances that act on opioid receptors in the brain to produce analgesic effects to reduce the perception of pain. Consumed in high doses, they can cause a feeling of artificial well-being, even euphoria, which leads to dependence.
As their name suggests, opioids are derived from opium, considered in France as a “narcotic”, or a hard drug. You probably know three opioids available in France. Maybe you have some in your medicine cabinet:
- Tramadol, an opioid pain reliever used to treat moderate to severe pain;
- Codeine, often used in combination with paracetamol or ibuprofen for the treatment of moderate pain. Codeine was available over the counter until recently, but now requires a prescription in France;
- Dextropropoxyphene, present in drugs such as Di-Antalvic, withdrawn from the market for safety reasons.
Why are opioids a problem in France?
According to figures published by the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), the number of hospitalizations linked to overconsumption of prescribed opioids increased by 167% between 2000 and 2017 (latest figures to date), and the number of deaths has logically increased by 146% over the same period. Today, a French person dies every 42 hours from an opioid overdose, according to Health Insurance.
Despite their effectiveness in relieving pain, opioids pose a real public health problem for at least three reasons:
- Dependence: even when used according to a medical prescription, opioids induce tolerance in the patient who must increase the doses over time to maintain the same analgesic effect;
- There is a high risk of overdose with opioids because they can affect the respiratory centers in the brain... which can be fatal;
- In addition to digestive side effects (nausea and constipation), opioids can have serious health consequences, including confusion and respiratory depression.
Opioid addiction: what is the benefit of CBD?
Cannabis has always been considered a serious avenue to combat opioid addiction. Obviously, the emergence of cannabidiol (CBD), which is a cannabinoid without psychotropic effects, reinforces this avenue for several reasons:
- CBD is an excellent analgesic, capable of relieving acute and chronic pain of mild to moderate intensity;
- CBD is a powerful natural anti-inflammatory, which contributes to its pain-relieving effect, particularly in muscles, joints and the digestive system;
- It is also a relaxing and soothing cannabinoid, which promotes a state of well-being.
Of course, only a doctor can make the decision between CBD and opioids.
On the other hand, scientific literature shows that cannabidiol has a role to play in smoothing the effects of opioid withdrawal in patients who have developed a dependence on these drugs. According to this meta-analysis which compiles 144 scientific studies, CBD significantly reduces depression and anxiety during withdrawal, which improves patients' quality of life and promotes successful withdrawal.
