Answered by Mufti Yusuf Mullan
Can a person who is currently addicted to hard drugs such as cocaine, start using lower effect drugs such as cannabis in an attempt to replace the using of cocaine and gradually ease off drugs altogether?
Answer:
Wa alaikum salaam wa rahmatullah,
Following the advice of a specialist in the field of drug addiction, resorting to drugs of lower effect as a means towards leaving them altogether will be considered permissible, based on the principle of adopting the lesser of two evils. However, one should continue seeking forgiveness (istighfar).
And Allah knows best.