Morphine-Dependent Rats: Blockade of Precipitated Abstinence by Tetrahydrocannabinol

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Abstract
Male rats were implanted subcutaneously with a pellet containing 75 milligrams of morphine base or placebo, and naloxone hydrochloride (4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) was administered 72 hours later. Treatment with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (2, 5, or 10 milligrams per kilogram) 1 hour before naloxone administration significantly reduced the intensity of abstinence; the two higher doses blocked the appearance of wet shakes and escapes, diarrhea, and increased defecation. Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol did not induce abstinence itself, and prior treatment with cannabidiol was ineffective in reducing naloxoneprecipitated abstinence in animals with morphine pellets. These data suggest that Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol may be of value in facilitating narcotic detoxification.