Peter Grinspoon, MD

In the study of addiction and recovery, the question of whether a person who has an addiction to any substance must avoid all other potentially addictive substances has yet to be definitively answered. Alongside it, some argue that those in recovery may simply substitute one addiction for another.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is an active ingredient in cannabis that is derived directly from the hemp plant, but it does not cause a high and is not addictive. CBD is drawing attention because it has been shown to be effective in helping people treat conditions like pain, insomnia, and anxiety.

The problem of physician burnout is growing and more than half of US doctors are experiencing (experience?) some symptom of burnout. Aside from the personal toll on their own lives, burned-out doctors may be compromising patient care in a variety of ways.

Debate about using medical marijuana to mitigate opioid misuse The idea of using marijuana to mitigate the opiate crisis may seem counterintuitive to many people in the medical community. Some healthcare providers ask questions like, “Aren’t we just replacing one drug with another?” and “Doesn’t marijuana present its own set of dangers, such as addiction, […]

With the opioid epidemic worsening and with no end in sight, as it continues to shorten the life expectancy of our citizens, we must do everything we can to lower the barriers that physicians face to treating addiction. The lowest-hanging fruit is the emergency department. For every fatal overdose, there are roughly 30 non-fatal overdoses, […]

What is Suboxone and how does it work? Suboxone, a combination medication containing buprenorphine and naloxone, is one of the main medications used for medication-assisted therapy (MAT) for opiate addiction. Use of MATs has been shown to lower the risk of fatal overdoses by approximately 50%. Suboxone works by tightly binding to the same receptors […]

If a colleague has been absent from work for treatment of a substance use disorder, that person’s return to work may be awkward or uncomfortable, and coworkers may feel similarly. Empathy, understanding, and a willingness to listen will help returning workers feel welcomed back.

While the recent emergency alert in Hawaii was a false alarm, the potential threat of a nuclear strike does serve as a reminder that it’s prudent to make advance preparations for this or some other unexpected event.

Medical marijuana is controversial, in part because many people aren’t aware of how and why it is used. Most commonly it is used to ease pain, and doctors need to be prepared for the questions their patients will have about it.

For many people, the most significant challenge when returning to the workplace after treatment for a substance use disorder is overcoming the doubts that coworkers may have about working with an addict. But doubt may weigh just as heavily on the person returning to work.