Can cannabis treat opioid addiction?

published on April 19, 2026 by Alexandra Keeler in Canadian Affairs

In July, a user on the popular social media forum Reddit posed a simple but charged question: “Does cannabis help?”

Posted to r/OpiatesRecovery, a 56,000‑member forum for people recovering from opioid addiction, the question drew mixed responses within minutes.

Some said they found it helpful; others cited cannabis’ negative side effects.

For cannabis and psychedelics researcher Philippe Lucas, the question is not hypothetical.

In the early 2000s, when Lucas ran a non-profit medical cannabis dispensary in Victoria, B.C., he routinely heard patients say cannabis had helped them stay away from more harmful drugs…