Study Spotlight #19: Therapeutic Effects of Cannabis on Cocaine Use Disorder
An international team of researchers from the US and Australia conducted this double-blind, placebo-controlled study (2023) on nine healthy volunteers to better understand the interactions and effects between the concomitant use of the two drugs.
Results showed that inhaled pre-treatment with smoked cannabis (5.6 % THC) before smoking cocaine (12, 25 mg) did not enhance the effects of cocaine. Instead, they discovered a reduction in some of the cocaine-associated effects, such as a reduction in peak plasma levels of cocaine and reductions in cocaine’s effect on appetite and mood.
When these findings are combined with other insights gained from examining the potential therapeutic effects of cannabis on cocaine use disorder, the therapeutic potential of cannabinoid-based therapeutics and associated exit-drug potential are becoming more focused.
Murray, C. H., Haney, M., Foltin, R. W., Manubay, J., Bedi, G., & Cooper, Z. D. (2023). Smoked cannabis reduces peak cocaine plasma levels and subjective effects in a controlled drug administration study of polysubstance use in men. Drug and alcohol dependence, 243, 109757.
