The Role of Cannabinoids in Substance Use Treatment

Education Webinars The Role of Cannabinoids in Substance Use Treatment

May 8, 2025 Join Dr. Bonni Goldstein for an in-depth webinar on the emerging role of cannabis as a harm reduction tool and potential therapeutic aid for individuals recovering from substance use disorders, including opioids, alcohol, and stimulants. Backed by scientific research and clinical insights, we will discuss how cannabinoids may help reduce cravings, ease withdrawal symptoms, and support long-term recovery while addressing safety concerns and best practices for medical use.

Integrate Powerful Hemp Cannabinoids into your Healthcare Practice

Learn from leading cannabis clinician Bonni Goldstein, MD and grow your practice revenues through our lab-tested hemp extract marketplace, while providing an exclusive medical discount to your patients. For a limited time, our platform is free for licensed US healthcare practitioners only.

With your free account, you'll get access to this educational video and so much more!

Learn more Create your free account

View Sources

Bergeria, Cecilia L., Andrew S. Huhn, and Kelly E. Dunn. "The impact of naturalistic cannabis use on self-reported opioid withdrawal." Journal of substance abuse treatment 113 (2020): 108005.

Birch, Edward A. "The use of Indian hemp in the treatment of chronic chloral and chronic opium poisoning." Lancet 1.625 (1889): 25.

Boehnke, Kevin F., Evangelos Litinas, and Daniel J. Clauw. "Medical cannabis use is associated with decreased opiate medication use in a retrospective cross-sectional survey of patients with chronic pain." The Journal of Pain 17.6 (2016): 739-744.

Cippitelli, Andrea, et al. "Cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonism reduces conditioned reinstatement of ethanol‐seeking behavior in rats." European Journal of Neuroscience 21.8 (2005): 2243-2251.

Costa, Gabriel PA, et al. "The impact of cannabis on non-medical opioid use among individuals receiving pharmacotherapies for opioid use disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies." The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 50.1 (2024): 12-26.

Crippa, José Alexandre de Souza, et al. "Cannabidiol for the treatment of cannabis withdrawal syndrome: a case report." Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics 38.2 (2013): 162-164.

De Vries, Taco J., et al. "A cannabinoid mechanism in relapse to cocaine seeking." Nature medicine 7.10 (2001): 1151-1154.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision.

Elliott, Georgia O., et al. "Changes in peripheral endocannabinoid levels in substance use disorders: a review of clinical evidence." The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse (2025): 1-13.

Freeman, Tom P., et al. "Cannabidiol for the treatment of cannabis use disorder: a phase 2a, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, adaptive Bayesian trial." The Lancet Psychiatry 7.10 (2020): 865-874.

Han, Dae-Hee, et al. "Nicotine–cannabis transitions and nicotine abstinence among United States adults." Epidemiology: 10-1097.

Hay, Gracie L., et al. "Cannabidiol treatment reduces the motivation to self-administer methamphetamine and methamphetamine-primed relapse in rats." Journal of Psychopharmacology 32.12 (2018): 1369-1378.

Hindocha, Chandni, et al. "Cannabidiol reverses attentional bias to cigarette cues in a human experimental model of tobacco withdrawal." Addiction 113.9 (2018): 1696-1705.

Hurd, Yasmin L. "Cannabidiol: swinging the marijuana pendulum from ‘weed’to medication to treat the opioid epidemic." Trends in neurosciences 40.3 (2017): 124-127.

Karoly, Hollis C., et al. "Effects of cannabis use on alcohol consumption in a sample of treatment‐engaged heavy drinkers in Colorado." Addiction 116.9 (2021): 2529-2537.

Lake, Stephanie, and Michelle St Pierre. "The relationship between cannabis use and patient outcomes in medication-based treatment of opioid use disorder: A systematic review." Clinical Psychology Review 82 (2020): 101939.

Le, Kelvin, et al. "The therapeutic potential of cannabidiol in revolutionising opioid use disorder management." Cureus 15.12 (2023).

Lucas, Philippe, Eric P. Baron, and Nick Jikomes. "Medical cannabis patterns of use and substitution for opioids & other pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and illicit substances; results from a cross-sectional survey of authorized patients." Harm reduction journal 16 (2019): 1-11.

Manzanares, Jorge, et al. "Role of the endocannabinoid system in drug addiction." Biochemical pharmacology 157 (2018): 108-121.

Merritt, Lisa L., et al. "The endogenous cannabinoid system modulates nicotine reward and dependence." The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics 326.2 (2008): 483-492.

Mikuriya, Tod H. "Cannabis substitution. An adjunctive therapeutic tool in the treatment of alcoholism." Medical times 98.4 (1970): 187-191.

Mikuriya, Tod. "Cannabis As a Substitute for Alcohol." Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics 3.1 (2003).

Mongeau‐Pérusse, Violaine, et al. "Cannabidiol as a treatment for craving and relapse in individuals with cocaine use disorder: a randomized placebo‐controlled trial." Addiction 116.9 (2021): 2431-2442.

Parsons, Loren H., and Yasmin L. Hurd. "Endocannabinoid signalling in reward and addiction." Nature Reviews Neuroscience 16.10 (2015): 579-594.

Powell, David, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, and Mireille Jacobson. "Do medical marijuana laws reduce addictions and deaths related to pain killers?." Journal of health economics 58 (2018): 29-42.

Reiman, Amanda, Mark Welty, and Perry Solomon. "Cannabis as a substitute for opioid-based pain medication: patient self-report." Cannabis and cannabinoid research 2.1 (2017): 160-166.

Rogers, Jeffrey M., et al. "Cannabis use may attenuate neurocognitive performance deficits resulting from methamphetamine use disorder." Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 30.1 (2024): 84-93.

Rodrigues, Larissa Alencar, et al. "Evaluation of the potential use of cannabidiol in the treatment of cocaine use disorder: A systematic review." Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 196 (2020): 172982.

Socías, Maria Eugenia, et al. "High‐intensity cannabis use is associated with retention in opioid agonist treatment: a longitudinal analysis." Addiction 113.12 (2018): 2250-2258.

Subbaraman, Meenakshi Sabina, et al. "Cannabis use during treatment for alcohol use disorders predicts alcohol treatment outcomes." Addiction 112.4 (2017): 685-694.

Subbaraman, Meenakshi S., Sarah Beth Barnett, and Katherine J. Karriker‐Jaffe. "Risks associated with mid level cannabis use among people treated for alcohol use disorder." Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 43.4 (2019): 690-694.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health." HHS Publication No. PEP19-5068, NSDUH Series H-54 170 (2019): 51-58.

Takakuwa, Kevin M., and Dustin Sulak. "A survey on the effect that medical cannabis has on prescription opioid medication usage for the treatment of chronic pain at three medical cannabis practice sites." Cureus 12.12 (2020).

Zimmermann, Sina, et al. "Acute cannabidiol administration reduces alcohol craving and cue-induced nucleus accumbens activation in individuals with alcohol use disorder: the double-blind randomized controlled ICONIC trial." Molecular Psychiatry (2024): 1-8.

Collapse