Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Mar 30:14:1155984.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1155984. eCollection 2023.

Impact of cannabidiol on reward- and stress-related neurocognitive processes among individuals with opioid use disorder: A pilot, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over trial

Joji Suzuki  1   2 , Sara Prostko  1 , Veronica Szpak  1 , Peter R Chai  2   3   4   5   6 , Primavera A Spagnolo  1   2 , Ruth E Tenenbaum  7 , Saeed Ahmed  7 , Roger D Weiss  2   8
Affiliations

Impact of cannabidiol on reward- and stress-related neurocognitive processes among individuals with opioid use disorder: A pilot, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over trial

Joji Suzuki et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Introduction: Opioid use disorder (OUD) continues to be a significant public health concern. Medications for OUD (MOUD) such as buprenorphine reduce overdose mortality, but relapses occur often, leading to adverse outcomes. Preliminary data suggest that cannabidiol (CBD) may be a potential adjunctive treatment to MOUD by attenuating cue-reactivity. This pilot study sought to evaluate the impact of a single dose of CBD on reward- and stress-related neurocognitive processes implicated in relapse among those with OUD.

Methods: The study was a pilot, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over trial aimed at assessing the effects of a single dose of CBD (Epidiolex®) 600 mg or matching placebo administered to participants with OUD receiving either buprenorphine or methadone. Vital signs, mood states, pain, opioid withdrawal, cue-induced craving, attentional bias, decision-making, delayed discount, distress tolerance, and stress-reactivity were examined at each testing session on two separate testing days at least 1 week apart.

Results: Ten participants completed all study procedures. Receipt of CBD was associated with a significant decrease in cue-induced craving (0.2 vs. 1.3, p = 0.040), as well as reduced attentional bias toward drug-related cues as measured by the visual probe task (-80.4 vs. 100.3, p = 0.041). No differences were found among all the other outcomes examined.

Discussion: CBD may have promise as an adjunct to MOUD treatment by attenuating the brain response to drug-related cues, which, in turn, may reduce the risk of relapse and overdoses. Further research is warranted to evaluate the potential for CBD as an adjunctive therapy for individuals in treatment for OUD.

Clinical trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04982029.

Keywords: buprenorphine; cannabidiol; cue-induced craving; methadone; opioid use disorder.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

RW has consulted to Alkermes. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study CONSORT flow diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Mattson CL. Trends and geographic patterns in drug and synthetic opioid overdose deaths — United States, 2013–2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. (2021) 70:202–7. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7006a4 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . State unintentional drug overdose reporting system (SUDORS). [internet]. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; (2022).
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Evidence-based strategies for preventing opioid overdoses: What’s working in the United States [internet]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; (2018). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/pubs/2018-evidence-based-strategies...
    1. Fullerton CA, Kim M, Thomas CP, Lyman DR, Montejano LB, Dougherty RH, et al. . Medication-assisted treatment with methadone: assessing the evidence. Psychiatr Serv. (2014) 65:146–57. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201300235 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mattick RP, Breen C, Kimber J, Davoli M. Buprenorphine maintenance versus placebo or methadone maintenance for opioid dependence. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. (2014) 2:CD002207. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002207.pub4 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Associated data