{"id":12717,"date":"2026-08-12T10:25:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T00:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/?p=12717"},"modified":"2026-08-12T10:49:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T00:49:43","slug":"cannabis-as-a-gateway-drug-for-opioid-use-disorder-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/cannabis-as-a-gateway-drug-for-opioid-use-disorder-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannabis as a Gateway Drug for Opioid Use Disorder"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"12717\" class=\"elementor elementor-12717\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-feb5619 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"feb5619\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e2b9af0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e2b9af0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Abstract: Cannabis as a Gateway Drug for Opioid Use Disorder<\/strong><br \/>Emerging evidence suggests that adolescent cannabis use may biologically and behaviourally increase vulnerability to later opioid use and the development of opioid use disorder (OUD). The paper argues that while shared risk factors\u2014such as trauma, impulsivity, psychiatric symptoms, and genetic predisposition\u2014contribute to both cannabis and opioid use, cannabis itself may introduce <i>additional<\/i> risk during critical neurodevelopmental windows.<\/p><p>Adolescence is marked by extensive neural pruning, synaptogenesis, and maturation of executive\u2011function circuits. The endocannabinoid system plays a central role in these processes, and exogenous cannabinoids can disrupt synaptic plasticity, dendritic architecture, glutamatergic signalling, CREB\u2011mediated gene expression, and NMDA\u2011dependent memory formation. As the paper notes, \u201ccannabis can change adolescent gene expression and alter these key periods of neurodevelopment\u201d . These alterations overlap with pathways implicated in opioid reinforcement and addiction.<\/p><p>Animal studies consistently show that adolescent THC or cannabinoid exposure enhances later heroin intake, increases conditioned place preference, induces morphine tolerance, and modifies striatal gene expression in ways that prime opioid sensitivity. Genetic variation (e.g., Penk, FosB expression) appears to moderate this priming effect, suggesting a subset of adolescents may be especially vulnerable.<\/p><p>Human population\u2011level studies mirror these concerns. Cannabis users are less likely to reduce opioid use over time, medical cannabis users show higher rates of prescription opioid misuse, and frequent cannabis use correlates with increased likelihood of meeting criteria for OUD. High\u2011potency cannabis may further amplify these risks. Additionally, cannabis\u2011related worsening of depression, suicidality, anxiety, and psychosis may indirectly increase opioid initiation among already at\u2011risk youth.<\/p><p>Overall, converging biological, developmental, genetic, and epidemiological evidence indicates that for some adolescents\u2014particularly those with high\u2011risk genotypes or psychiatric vulnerability\u2014cannabis use can meaningfully increase the likelihood of opioid initiation, escalation, and OUD.<\/p><p>Also see\u00a0 Dalgarno Research Report <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cannabis-as-a-Gateway-Drug-for-Opioid-Use-Disorder.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cannabis and the Gateway Drug Theory: Correlation or Causation \u2013 Where does the Evidence Point?<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3331e03 elementor-widget elementor-widget-ucaddon_border_btn_effect\" data-id=\"3331e03\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"ucaddon_border_btn_effect.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<!-- start Border Button Effect -->\n\t\t<link id='font-awesome-css' href='https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-content\/plugins\/unlimited-elements-for-elementor-premium\/assets_libraries\/font-awesome6\/fontawesome-all.min.css' type='text\/css' rel='stylesheet' >\n\t\t<link id='font-awesome-4-shim-css' href='https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-content\/plugins\/unlimited-elements-for-elementor-premium\/assets_libraries\/font-awesome6\/fontawesome-v4-shims.min.css' type='text\/css' rel='stylesheet' >\n\n<style>\/* widget: Border Button Effect *\/\n\n#uc_border_btn_effect_elementor_3331e03 {\n  min-height:1px;\n}\n\n#uc_border_btn_effect_elementor_3331e03 .ue-btn{\n  justify-content: center;\n  text-align: center;\n  position: relative;\n  text-decoration: none;\n  box-sizing:border-box;\n  outline:none;\n}\n\n#uc_border_btn_effect_elementor_3331e03 .ue-btn:before,\n#uc_border_btn_effect_elementor_3331e03 .ue-btn:after{\n  position: absolute;\n  content: \"\";\n}\n\n#uc_border_btn_effect_elementor_3331e03 .ue-btn:before{\n  border-bottom: 3px solid #000000;\n  border-left: 3px solid #000000;\n  width: 20px;\n  height: 20px;\n  left: -10px;\n  bottom: -10px;\n}\n\n#uc_border_btn_effect_elementor_3331e03 .ue-btn:after{\n  border-top: 3px solid #000000;\n  border-right: 3px solid #000000;\n  width: 20px;\n  height: 20px;\n  top: -10px;\n  right: -10px;\n}\n\n#uc_border_btn_effect_elementor_3331e03 .ue-btn:hover:before{\n  width: 100%;\n  height: 100%;\n}\n\n#uc_border_btn_effect_elementor_3331e03 .ue-btn:hover:after{\n  width: 100%;\n  height: 100%;\n}\n\n\n\n<\/style>\n\n<div id=\"uc_border_btn_effect_elementor_3331e03\" class=\"ue-btn-wrapper\">\n  <a class=\"ue-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cannabis-as-a-Gateway-Drug-for-Opioid-Use-Disorder.pdf\"  target='_blank' aria-label=\"Research Click Here\">\n        Research Click Here\n  <\/a>\n<\/div>\n<!-- end Border Button Effect -->\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Abstract: Cannabis as a Gateway Drug for Opioid Use DisorderEmerging evidence suggests that adolescent cannabis use may biologically and behaviourally increase vulnerability to later opioid use and the development of opioid use disorder (OUD). The paper argues that while shared risk factors\u2014such as trauma, impulsivity, psychiatric symptoms, and genetic predisposition\u2014contribute to both cannabis and opioid [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cannabis-conundrum"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12717"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12738,"href":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12717\/revisions\/12738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dalgarnoinstitute.org.au\/wp_site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}