If you struggle with substance use of licit or illicit substances, you are not alone. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 48.5 million people suffered from a substance use disorder in 2023.[1]
The best way to recover from substance use is to attend a professional drug and alcohol rehab center. These programs will provide an in-depth assessment and individualized treatment plan, medical detox, evidence-based therapies, and relapse prevention planning. These services make it possible for you to achieve long-term recovery.
That being said, everyone’s substance use recovery journey is different. While complete abstinence might be right for some drug users, you might struggle leaving every drug behind. This is where harm reduction comes in.
To explain, the harm reduction strategy believes in meeting people who use drugs where they are at to reduce the likelihood of relapse, the spreading of diseases, and overdoses. The most common form of harm reduction is using medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which involves taking prescription drugs like Suboxone or methadone to curb cravings for opioid drugs.
That said, there is another form of harm reduction, you could take advantage of. The therapeutic potential of cannabis is always increasing. Currently, it is known to improve public health by assisting in pain management, nausea, mental health conditions, and more. If you need to use medical cannabis while you are in recovery from addiction, it might be considered a form of harm reduction.
In this article, you will learn:
- Are there risks to using marijuana in recovery from addiction?
- Is medical cannabis use considered a form of harm reduction?
- How does medical cannabis use reduce the risks of relapsing?
- Can other substances be used to reduce harm?
Are There Risks to Cannabis Use in Recovery?
The use of cannabis does come with some risks, especially when you are in recovery from addiction. First, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that approximately 3 in 10 people who reported using cannabis have cannabis use disorder.[2]
Because it is possible to become addicted to marijuana, you need to be very careful with how much weed you use. You should also monitor your reasons for using cannabis. If you are simply smoking it to experience a high, you might be dealing with a relapse.
One of the potential harms associated with using marijuana during recovery is the “gateway drug” theory. While calling marijuana the gateway drug is unfair, there is a sliver of truth behind it. When you start using one drug, you might be more likely to use others.
In other words, if you are not mindful about your motivations for using cannabis, it could put you closer to experiencing a relapse on other drugs, like cocaine, methamphetamine, or alcohol. This is why using cannabis for harm reduction needs to be a careful process.
Is Medical Cannabis a Form of Harm Reduction?
Medical cannabis laws vary from state to state. Some states, like Florida and California, permit medical marijuana use. If you are located in one of these states, you might be wondering if you can use weed while you are in recovery from illicit drug addiction.
People who use drugs can use cannabis for harm reduction if it helps them cope with a medical condition. For example, if you have a chronic pain condition, the typical medications used for relief are opioids. As opioids pose a higher risk than marijuana, you could use weed to manage your pain instead, reducing potential issues.
It is also possible to use marijuana as a form of harm reduction to cope with cravings for other illicit drugs. If you are recovering from opioid, benzodiazepine, alcohol, meth, or crack addiction, you might deal with intense urges and cravings. The use of cannabis can curb these cravings, giving you relief on a short-term basis to lessen your chances of relapsing.
Medical Cannabis for Harm Reduction: How Does it Work?
If you engage in the use of cannabis in recovery from addiction, there is a nickname for your form of recovery. You would be considered “California sober.” Using cannabis for harm reduction works in a couple of different ways.
Using cannabis for harm reduction looks like:
Replacing Other Prescription Drugs
Sometimes, we have medical conditions that are recommended to be treated with narcotics or other mind-altering substances. For example, chronic pain is often treated with opioids, while anxiety might be managed with benzodiazepines. Arguably, these prescription drugs are more harmful in the short and long term than marijuana.
Because the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis includes pain and anxiety relief, you could use it to manage your conditions instead of other substances like opioids or benzodiazepines. This is the most common way that marijuana is used for harm reduction.
Curbing Cravings for Drugs With a High Risk for Overdose
If you obtain cannabis with a prescription, you could use it to manage your substance use cravings. To explain, drug users in recovery often experience cravings long after they overcome withdrawal. These cravings put you at a high risk of relapsing on illicit substances.
While it is best to avoid all psychoactive substances, sometimes it isn’t possible. One of the best harm reduction strategies among the recovery community is using safer prescription medications to improve cravings, lessening your chances of relapsing.
If you are substituting for illicit opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol, or some other addictive substance, marijuana could be a viable form of harm reduction. Additionally, the attitude surrounding cannabis has predominantly been positive in the past few years, which means it might be more accepted to use cannabis in recovery.
Even though this type of harm reduction could be viewed as self-medication, using medical cannabis to control your cravings could keep you sober from more harmful drugs. As a result, you will lessen your chances of experiencing severe consequences of addiction, like overdoses.
Can Other Drugs Be Used for Harm Reduction Among People in Recovery?
While medical cannabis can be a harm reduction strategy among the recovery community, there are other options as well. If you are struggling with opioid addiction recovery, there are substitutes for licit opioids. These medications can lessen withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings, and lower your potential for relapse.
Instead of returning to an opioid you abused, like hydrocodone, morphine, heroin, oxycodone, or others, you can use an FDA-approved medication like Suboxone or methadone. These medications target opioid receptors in your brain, tricking it into thinking it’s gotten the substance it craves. As a result, you have an easier time achieving long-term sobriety.
This is known as medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and is the most socially acceptable form of harm reduction among the recovery community. This type of harm reduction is often used in addiction treatment centers that promote full abstinence. Drug rehab programs often use MAT medications for treating withdrawal or coming off of addictive substances.
Get Connected to a Sober Living Program That Allows Medical Cannabis Use
If you want to use cannabis for harm reduction, Patrick’s Purpose is here to support you. We understand that harm reduction is vital for people who use drugs, often being the difference between relapse and sobriety. At our sober living program, we support harm reduction by allowing our residents to use medical cannabis.
Substance use can be hard to recover from, but medical marijuana can make the recovery process easier. If you are prescribed cannabis to treat a medical condition while you recover from substance use, Patrick’s Purpose is the right program for you.
When using a cannabis substitution for drugs like opioids and benzodiazepines, we can help you learn how to ensure you avoid becoming addicted to THC. Our drug policy is strict, which means we only allow residents to have marijuana on the premises if they have a prescription from a doctor. Because medical cannabis can improve public health by reducing relapse, we believe it can be incredibly helpful in recovery from addiction.
Contact us today for more information on how we can help you balance substance use recovery with medical marijuana use.
References:
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Highlights for the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Understanding your Risk for Cannabis Use Disorder