For Women, Cannabis Use May Hinder Methadone Treatment
Women who use cannabis during methadone maintenance treatment are more likely to have a poor response, according to a study published online in the Biology of Sex Differences journal. Specifically, women who use cannabis are 82% more likely to continue using illicit opioids while receiving methadone treatment therapy.
The significant association between cannabis use and methadone treatment failure did not apply to men, researchers found.
“About 60% of men and 44% of women who are undergoing methadone treatment therapy also use cannabis,” said study senior author Zena Samaan, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at McMaster University and a clinician at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. “Tailoring treatment to the patient’s sex can help us to assess the patient’s risk better and deliver more accurate, personalized treatment.”
Would Legalizing Medical Marijuana Help Curb the Opioid Epidemic?
The study examined whether cannabis use factors into the poor response of a large number of patients to methadone maintenance treatment, which has documented effectiveness for opioid use disorder. Researchers investigated cannabis use and illicit opioid use in a cohort of 414 men and 363 women receiving methadone maintenance treatment at 16 Canadian Addiction Treatment Centre sites.
Among women, cannabis use was significantly associated with illicit opioid use, the study found. The heaviness of cannabis use, however, was not a factor.
“This study also showed that women with opioid use disorder experienced physical and psychological symptoms more frequently than men; these symptoms may be the underlying cause of cannabis use in women in this study,” researchers wrote, “and addiction services should consider sex-specific treatment programs to manage symptoms and co-substance use.”
—Jolynn Tumolo
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