Given the lack of FDA approved medications for the treatment of drug use, exercise may represent a form of behavioral modification suitable to treat different forms of drug dependence. Building up a “Runner’s High” from intense exercise may overwrite pathways in the brain by reinforcing the body’s natural reward system.
A group of subjects who smoked an average of 5.9 joints a day, reduced their daily intake of Cannabis to an average of 2.8 joints a day during the exercise portion of the experiment.
This data agrees with existing scientific evidence which demonstrates the positive effects of exercise on reducing drug craving. Given the low cost of exercise it could represent a treatment accessible to people who do not have access to health insurance or have failed to receive HMO approval for drug abuse medications. More studies are needed to confirm the benefits of exercise on drug dependence but, in theory, this could be applied to other drug issues. For regular consumers and underground medical users in states that do not have a consistent supply, exercise may also help in times without access.
The abstract is below but the full article can be read here
Aerobic exercise training reduces cannabis craving and use in non-treatment seeking cannabis-dependent adults
Buchowski MS, Meade NN, Charboneau E, Park S, Dietrich MS, Cowan RL, Martin PR.Source
Energy Balance Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America. [email protected]
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Cannabis dependence is a significant public health problem. Because there are no approved medications for this condition, treatment must rely on behavioral approaches empirically complemented by such lifestyle change as exercise.
AIMS:
To examine the effects of moderate aerobic exercise on cannabis craving and use in cannabis dependent adults under normal living conditions.
DESIGN:
Participants attended 10 supervised 30-min treadmill exercise sessions standardized using heart rate (HR) monitoring (60-70% HR reserve) over 2 weeks. Exercise sessions were conducted by exercise physiologists under medical oversight.
PARTICIPANTS:
Sedentary or minimally active non-treatment seeking cannabis-dependent adults (n?=?12, age 25±3 years, 8 females) met criteria for primary cannabis dependence using the Substance Abuse module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID).
MEASUREMENTS:
Self-reported drug use was assessed for 1-week before, during, and 2-weeks after the study. Participants viewed visual cannabis cues before and after exercise in conjunction with assessment of subjective cannabis craving using the Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ-SF).
FINDINGS:
Daily cannabis use within the run-in period was 5.9 joints per day (SD?=?3.1, range 1.8-10.9). Average cannabis use levels within the exercise (2.8 joints, SD?=?1.6, range 0.9-5.4) and follow-up (4.1 joints, SD?=?2.5, range 1.1-9.5) periods were lower than during the run-in period (both P<.005). Average MCQ factor scores for the pre- and post-exercise craving assessments were reduced for compulsivity (P ?=?.006), emotionality (P ?=?.002), expectancy (P ?=?.002), and purposefulness (P ?=?.002).
CONCLUSIONS:
The findings of this pilot study warrant larger, adequately powered controlled trials to test the efficacy of prescribed moderate aerobic exercise as a component of cannabis dependence treatment. The neurobiological mechanisms that account for these beneficial effects on cannabis use may lead to understanding of the physical and emotional underpinnings of cannabis dependence and recovery from this disorder.
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Jahan Marcu is currently investigating the pharmacology of cannabinoid receptors. He was working at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute when exciting discoveries were made showing enhanced anti-cancer effects with THC and CBD from the Cannabis plant. The findings were published in the Journal of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. In 2009 he received the Billy Martin Award from the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS). Jahan is currently the vice-chair the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board at Americans for Safe Access (ASA). He enjoys nuclear magnetic resonance and The Original Ghostbusters.
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