One strategy to treat drug dependence is long-term treatment with the same agonist drug or with a cross-tolerant drug to suppress withdrawal and drug craving. This approach is successfully used in the treatment of tobacco (nicotine) dependence (nicotine itself) and opiate dependence (methadone, buprenorphine). It is being studied for treatment of cannabis dependence using synthetic THC which is legally marketed in many countries as an oral medication for appetite stimulation and suppression of nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy. Questions of medication abuse and diversion must be addressed, as with opiate agonist substitution treatment.
