The opioid overdose epidemic is one of the darkest storylines plaguing the U.S. today, but recent studies find hope in the cannabis plant.

Los Angeles intravenous users recently shared testimony in research on the co-use of cannabis with opioids. In Finland, researchers sought to compare the pain-relieving effects of prescribed this drug versus medical cannabis. Meanwhile, scientists in Canada inquired as to whether the plant might offset cravings for heavier pharmaceuticals, and down under in Australia, a 20-year study concluded on marijuana and heroin addiction.

RELATED: Research uncovers untapped potential of the cannabis plant

This research focuses on reducing the harm caused by heroin and opioids over the years with the cannabis plant, and a few of them found success.

Drug users report cannabis staves off opioid cravings

The 2024 edition of Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports includes a study featuring cannabis testimony from one-on-one interviews with people who inject drugs. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews for just under a year around methadone clinics and syringe service programs, gathering a total of 30.

Emerging themes were identified, and the main one was how this group uses cannabis and opioids together. The results are from a small sample size, but still worth exploring in the face of a tragic epidemic.

Transcribed interviews continued to show that cannabis helps reduce opioid use in myriad ways. Participants reported that cannabis helped them stop using opioids and manage withdrawal symptoms. The other common theme was that safe access to cannabis through initiatives like adult-use legalization helped them decrease opioid use.

The study authors noted two ways to use this data to decrease overall opioid addiction. They suggest that offering cannabis in harm-reduction-based healthcare centers may be an effective tactic for changing opioid use patterns. The discussion also notes that access to cannabis co-use alongside existing opioid use disorder medication might improve outcomes. This goes for treatment settings, where cannabis possession or consumption is often not permitted.

Cannabis can be a powerful tool with many uses. This research shows that one of those may be in tackling the opioid crisis.

Finnish study reveals cannabis and opioids offer similar pain relief

A Finnish study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research may have chronic pain patients running to the doctor for a cannabis prescription. Data was collected from about 200 chronic pain patients via internet surveys seeking to understand how the two pain medicines were compared.

RELATED: Ask Dr. Leigh: could cannabis help women through menopause?

40 of the respondents are medical cannabis consumers, and 161 are opioid users. The medical cannabis patients mostly consumed THC-dominant products, with the remaining 18 percent using a 1:1 THC to CBD ratio and five percent opting for high-CBD. As for opioids, almost 50 percent reported using codeine and weak opioids. 20 percent are on medium-strength opioids, and 31 percent take high-powered pharmaceuticals like fentanyl.

Participating patients answered questions and shared their subjective experiences with their chosen meds. Researchers measured experiences by Negative Side Effects, Positive Holistic Effects, and Positive Emotional Effects. The medical cannabis patients scored higher in Positive Emotional Effects and Holistic Positive Effects. No difference in Negative Side Effects was perceived.

Patients reported equal pain-relieving experiences with both substances. Perhaps prescribing doctors will take note and opt for the less addictive of the two next time they pull out the prescription pad.

Canadian study shows cannabis is used to manage opioid cravings

Another study, from Canada this time, revealed that many unregulated opioid users consume cannabis to mitigate cravings for the addictive pharmaceutical. Just over 200 people who use cannabis and opioids were given questionnaires from December 2019 to November 2021.

Self-reported reductions in opioid use were “significantly associated” with cannabis use, with 57.6 percent of respondents stating that they chose weed to stave off opioid cravings. Further analyses told an interesting tale; this method was only successful for women with moderate to severe pain.

Researchers deduced that cannabis could be a useful tool to fight the opioid crisis.

“Increasing the accessibility of cannabis products for therapeutic use may be a useful supplementary strategy to mitigate exposure to unregulated opioids and associated harm during the ongoing drug toxicity crisis,” the authors wrote.

RELATED: How rescheduling impacts the medical cannabis market

Regular cannabis consumption does not reduce heroin use

The bright outlook of the last study may be dimmed by The end of a 20-year-long Australian study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry may dim the light of the previously reported research. This study, conducted through the University of Sydney, centered on 615 heroin users who also consume cannabis.

Subjects were interviewed at the initial meeting, at three months, six months, a year, two years, three years, 11 years, and 18-20 years after establishing the baseline in 2001. In the meetings, researchers used the Opiate Treatment Index to assess heroin and cannabis consumption. A model to understand each person’s ability to reach their goals and achievements was also instrumental in understanding the full picture of each subject’s life.

Results were interesting, showing that an increase in cannabis use at the two-year mark led to an increase in heroin use by the three-year mark. There was also a correlation in those who were using more heroin at three months and two years consuming less cannabis at one year and three years.

These were the only significant data points, but they made an astute observation. Though some research supports cannabis for mitigating opioid dependence, the same might not be true for heroin.

There are many reasons to legalize cannabis, and these studies show that fighting the opioid crisis might be one of them. Opioid addiction is a deadly issue in the U.S., and any way to reduce harm should be considered–even if it’s green.