Association of cannabis use with opioid outcomes among opioid-dependent youth

• Published in: Drug and alcohol dependence 2013-09, Vol.132 (1), p.342-345
• Main Authors: Hill, Kevin P, Bennett, Heather E, Griffin, Margaret L, Connery, Hilary S, Fitzmaurice, Garrett M, Subramaniam, Geetha, Woody, George E, Weiss, Roger D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent substance abuse; Adult; Buprenorphine; Buprenorphine - therapeutic use; Cannabis; Cannabis use; Clinical outcomes; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Drug dependency; Female; Humans; Initiation; Logistic Models; Male; Marijuana Abuse - complications; Marijuana Abuse - psychology; Naloxone - therapeutic use; Narcotic Antagonists - therapeutic use; Narcotics - therapeutic use; Opioid dependence; Opioid-Related Disorders - complications; Opioid-Related Disorders - psychology; Opioid-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Opioids; Psychiatry; Substance Abuse Detection; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult; Young people
• ISSN: 0376-8716; 1879-0046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.02.030

Abstract Objective Cannabis use is common among opioid-dependent patients, but studies of its association with treatment outcome are mixed. In this secondary analysis, the association of cannabis use with opioid treatment outcome is assessed. Methods In the main study, participants ( n = 152) aged 15–21 years were randomized to receive psychosocial treatments and either a 12-week course of buprenorphine–naloxone with a dose taper to zero in weeks 9–12, or a 2-week detoxification with buprenorphine–naloxone. Drug use was assessed by self-report and urine drug screen at baseline and during study weeks 1–12. The association between cannabis and opioid use at weeks 4, 8, and 12 was examined using logistic regression models. Results Participants reported a median of 3.0 days (range = 0–30) cannabis use in the past month; half (50.3%; n = 77) reported occasional use, one-third reported no use (33.1%; n = 50), and one-sixth reported daily cannabis use (16.6%; n = 25). Median lifetime cannabis use was 4.0 years (range = 0–11) and median age of initiation of use was 15.0 years (range 9–21). Neither past cannabis use (age of initiation and use in the month prior to baseline) nor concurrent use was associated with level of opioid use. Conclusions Overall, cannabis use had no association with opioid use over 12 weeks in this sample of opioid-dependent youth. While cannabis use remains potentially harmful, it was not a predictor of poor opioid treatment outcome.