Exercise May Help Treat Cannabis Dependence
Thursday, May 5th, 2011Given 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…[Read More]
