What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: THC, CBD, Pain.

Where was this research published?

Published in Postgraduate medicine on October 1, 2026.

A cancer-pain case report raises concern about THC/CBD with opioids

Q: What did this research study find?

In one case, a patient developed **slow breathing and unresponsiveness** after taking a 100 mg *THC/CBD* tincture while receiving hydromorphone and methadone; the patient recovered after two administrations of naloxone.

Respiratory depression with concomitant use of opioids and cannabinoids: a case report.

Postgraduate medicine • October 1, 2026 • Highly Relevant

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AI Summary

This abstract-based summary describes a case report examining respiratory depression during combined opioid and cannabinoid use in a middle-aged patient with metastatic cancer and severe pain. After receiving hydromorphone and methadone, the patient took a 100 mg THC/CBD tincture and later became abnormally slow-breathing and unresponsive. The patient recovered after two administrations of naloxone.

The authors suggest the cannabinoid product may have contributed to acute opioid toxicity, possibly through inhibition of UGT2B7, an enzyme involved in opioid metabolism. This single case cannot establish that the tincture caused the event or determine how often such interactions occur; the proposed mechanism is not confirmed here. The abstract supports the authors’ call for clinicians to ask about cannabinoid use and discuss potential risks when patients are also receiving high-dose opioids.

💡 Key Findings

In one case, a patient developed slow breathing and unresponsiveness after taking a 100 mg THC/CBD tincture while receiving hydromorphone and methadone; the patient recovered after two administrations of naloxone.

High

95%

The authors considered the cannabinoid product a possible contributing factor in acute opioid toxicity, but this case cannot establish causation.

High

95%

Inhibition of UGT2B7 was proposed as a possible mechanism; the abstract does not establish that this mechanism caused the event.

Good

65%

📄 Original Abstract

BACKGROUND: The United States has had a 15-fold increase in daily cannabis use in the last 30 years. There is a growing importance for palliative care physicians to understand the pharmacological interactions between high-dose opioids and cannabinoids when treating patients with cancer-related pain who are increasingly concomitantly using cannabinoids. We present a case of respiratory depression following high‑dose THC and opioids. We discuss proposed mechanistic interactions, the importance of cannabinoid use in social history, and the role of proactive counseling of patients with concomitant use. CASE REPORT: A middle-aged patient with metastatic stage IV rhabdomyosarcoma presented to the hospital for management of abdominal distension and severe pain. Palliative care was consulted for cancer-related pain management and goals-of-care conversation. Hydromorphone patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) was started along with methadone on the second day. Following a goals-of-care discussion regarding the terminal prognosis, the patient independently took 100 mg THC/CBD tincture to manage anxious emotions. Later that evening, the patient developed bradypnea and unresponsiveness, recovering fully after two administrations of naloxone. After a brief intermission, PCA was increased without further respiratory depression despite overall higher morphine equivalent daily dose. CONCLUSIONS: In our case, we describe how 100 mg cannabinoid product was a contributing factor in acute opioid toxicity possibly due to active inhibition of UGT2B7 (UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B7), a liver enzyme crucial in the metabolism of morphine. For patients who use cannabis, explicit counseling regarding the risks of combining high-dose opioids with high-dose cannabinoids is needed. Proactive counseling with patients in this changing landscape of cannabinoid use will become essential for their safety in the treatment of cancer-related pain.