Human psychopharmacology
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Human psychopharmacology · May 2017
Multicenter StudyImpact of synthetic cannabinoids on the duration of opioid-related withdrawal and craving among patients of addiction clinics in Kazakhstan: A prospective case-control study.
The aim of the study was to prospectively assess whether regular use of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) affects the duration of opioid-related withdrawal and craving symptoms in patients undergoing drug detoxification treatments. ⋯ This is the first study to assess the impact of SCs on the course of opioid withdrawal and craving symptoms. The results (a) suggest that patients with opioid use disorder in combination with regular use of SCs exhibit a significantly longer duration of opioid withdrawal and craving symptoms, (b) add to the accumulating evidence showing clinical and molecular cross talks between cannabinoids and opioids, and (c) underline novel harmful effects of SCs.