Clinical outcomes from a mid-western opioid treatment program during covid-19 emergency regulations: a brief report on the effect of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use on take home methadone access

The study examines whether tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use alone affected sustainability of weekly take-home methadone medication among a small sample of 33 patients attending a single opioid treatment program, under special exception by state and federal governments during the Covid-19 pandemic. Kaplan Meier analyses of survival rates in months of eligibility for take-home methadone showed that the majority of patients with continuing THC use remained eligible for 10 months despite continued THC use. Majority were employed, insured, and housed stably, but Log Rank Tests on these predictor variables showed no statistical significance. The socioeconomic stability of the cohort may indicate THC use alone may be less important in restricting take-home methadone and warrants further research.