CBD triggers opioid receptors, so why isn't it addictive ?

[cryptolab]

Hello denizens,

So there's abundant evidence that CBD has analgesic effects: from both animal studies
with rats and mice and also from medical cannabis users.

CBD binds to, and activates, our endogenous opioid receptors, and this fact both
explains and somehow 'justifies' the assertion of analgesic action of cannabis.

The opioid receptors activated by CBD, are also activated heroin, morphine and the
vast family of other opioids. So why isn't CBD addictive ?

If anyone has come across explanations for CBD's apparent non-addicting nature,
please post them here. I'm very interested in this question.

The implications and corollaries are huge. For example:
-- perhaps CBD can help opioid addicts transition from the poppy to the weed.
(how much suffering, crime, betrayal and personal degradation would that end?)
-- the mechanism underlying alcoholism, coincidentally, is the triggering of endogenous
opioid receptors (in response to the chemical assault of excessive alcohol). It's already
known that agents, such as naltrexone, that blind to, but do not trigger, the opioid
receptor, take the pleasure out of drinking, for an alcoholic. Perhaps it would be
better to offer alcoholics the choice of transitioning to CBD oil... since CBD has
neuroprotective, neurorestorative, anti-depressive and anti-anxiety effects, it has
a better side-effect profile than naltrexone.
-- CBD might become, in time, a replacement for aspirin and paracetamol.
given that aspirin causes stomach bleeding and paracetamol, taken to excess
will kill you via liver damage.... maybe using CBD to replace aspirin and
paracetamol is a great idea.

But i digress... Back to the main point of this thread:
Has any body come across explanations for CBD's non-addicting nature ?

thanks to anyone and everyone who replies

be happy

cryptolab

[M_C]

A good question!

...and one that I have absolutely no idea on the answer

[Karsa]

A good question!

...and one that I have absolutely no idea on the answer

Ditto

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

[cryptolab]

hi denizens,

What it says is, a dose of 10mg CBD per kg of body weight will block
the opioid reward system.

Presumably this means that opioid receptors are associated with,
(at least), two functions:
(1) pain reduction (analgesia)
(2) reward impulses (addiction)

And that, you can activate each function independently.
So binding to an opioid receptor might activate one, or
other, or both, or none, of those 2 functions.

I think this is basically the answer to the question in the
thread title.

So perhaps there are chemicals that bind to the opioid receptor
that do the opposite to CBD, they activate the opioid reward
mechanism and offer no analgesia.

But notice, there's an opportunity here. Everyone that's going to
be given large dosages of opioids in hospital, eg: because of surgery.
If you gave those people 10mg of CBD per kg of body weight, you
might be able to prevent them developing an addiction to the opioids.

I imagine there might be a trade off. For example, the more CBD
you administer, the less chance of addictive potential of an opioid drug,
but also... the less chance the opioid drug has to provide analgesia.
(because CBD is occupying the opioid receptors)
So perhaps, it's a 'swings and roundabouts' scenario.

Seriously, someone should investigate that. There might be a sweet spot.
For example, 5mg of CBD per KG of body weight, were you get a good
balance of analgesia and reduction in addictive potential.

Imagine the reduction in human suffering, if we could mitigate the opioid
addiction 'holocaust'.

be happy :-)

cryptolab