Cannabis treatment counters addiction: First study of its kind

An Australian study has demonstrated that cannabis-based medication helps tackle dependency on cannabis, one of the most widely used drugs globally.

A paper about the University of Sydney and NSW Health clinical trial provides the first strong evidence that so-called cannabinoid agonist medication — which targets receptors in the brain — could reduce the rate of relapse.

The paper published today in the American Medical Association’s JAMA Internal Medicine.

Lead author Conjoint Professor Nick Lintzeris — of the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health and Director of Drug & Alcohol Services, South East Sydney Local Health District — said the study should give hope to people with dependency on cannabis, which is a leading cause of drug treatment episodes in Australia.*

“We’ve never had the evidence before that medication can be effective in treating cannabis dependency — this is the first big study to show this is a safe and effective approach,” Professor Lintzeris said.