Cannabis use is associated with reduced risk of exposure to fentanyl among people on opioid agonist therapy during a community-wide overdose crisis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The ongoing opioid overdose crisis is driven largely by exposure to illicitly-manufactured fentanyl. Preliminary observational and experimental research suggests that cannabis could potentially play a role in reducing use of prescription opioids among individuals with chronic pain. However, there is limited data on the effects of cannabis on illicit opioid consumption, particularly fentanyl, especially among individuals on opioid agonist therapy (OAT). We sought to assess the longitudinal association between cannabis use and exposure to fentanyl among people on OAT.

Methods

Data were drawn from two community-recruited prospective cohorts of people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada. We used generalized linear mixed-effects modeling, adjusted by relevant confounder

SUBMITTER: Socias ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8006801 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature