Disorders - Cannabis Use
Spillane,
N. S., Schick, M. R., Hostetler, K. L., Trinh, C. D., Kahler, C. W.
Background: Young adults experience high rates of cannabis use and consequences. Cross-sectional work has linked
positive psychological constructs (e.g., savoring) to less cannabis use and consequences, and positive psychological interventions (PPIs) have shown
promise in targeting other substance use behaviors. This pilot study sought to provide an initial test of PPIs to reduce young adult cannabis use and
consequences. Method(s): Adults (18-25 years old) who endorsed at least weekly past-month cannabis use (N = 59, 69.6% men, 41.1% White) reported
their baseline cannabis use and consequences. Participants were randomized to complete one of three daily exercises (Savoring, Three Good Things, or
a control) along with daily text message surveys for two weeks, then completed a follow-up survey at the end of the two weeks. Result(s): Paired
samples t-tests indicated that participants in the Three Good Things group showed medium to large reductions in frequency of weekly cannabis use (p
=.08, gav = -0.57) and cannabis-associated consequences (p =.08, gav = -0.57) from baseline to follow-up. In the Savoring and
control groups, there were not significant changes in frequency of weekly cannabis use (Savoring: p =.39, gav = 0.20; Control: p =.96,
gav = 0.01) nor cannabis-associated consequences (Savoring: p =.84, gav = 0.05; Control: p =.45, gav = -0.18).
Participants in both positive psychology conditions reported the exercises were easy to complete, providing evidence for acceptability. Discussion
(s): Results provide initial support for the feasibility and potential promise of a text-message based PPI as a harm reduction approach for cannabis
users. A larger clinical trial is warranted to test the effects of such interventions with adequate statistical power. Copyright © 2023
Contemporary Clinical Trials, 131 (no
pagination) :
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Cannabis Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Positive
psychology
Shrier, L. A., Harris, S. Kim
Purpose: Mindfulness, awareness resulting from attending to the present without judgment, has\rbeen associated with improved health.
When considered as a time-varying momentary state,\rmindfulness is associated with other momentary states such as affect. We examined whether
\rmomentary mindfulness, specifically mindful attention and awareness (MAA), changed after\rcounseling interventions to reduce cannabis use that
included ecological momentary assessment\r(EMA) and explored associations with negative affect, positive affect, and cannabis desire.\rMethods:
Outpatients 15e24 years using cannabis 3x/week were randomized to one of the three\rinterventions, each including two motivational enhancement
therapy (MET) sessions. For two\rinterventions, MET was followed by 2 weeks of EMA (with/without messaging). Momentary MAA,\rnegative affect,
positive affect, and cannabis desire were assessed over 1 week of EMA at baseline\rand 3-month follow-up (N ¼ 1,971 reports, 68 participants). We
examined changes in momentary\rMAA from baseline to follow-up overall and by group (MET þ EMA, MET-only) using generalized\rlinear mixed effects
models. We tested associations of momentary MAA with momentary affect\rand cannabis desire using generalized estimating equations.\rResults:
Momentary MAA increased from baseline to follow-up after MET counseling plus EMA\r(b ¼ 0.237), but did not change with MET counseling alone. Higher
momentary MAA was associated with lower negative affect (b ¼ 0.526) and cannabis desire (b ¼ 0.521), but not with\rpositive affect.\rDiscussion:
Among youth using cannabis frequently, momentary MAA was increased 3 months\rafter interventions with EMA after counseling and was inversely
associated with momentary\rnegative affect and momentary cannabis desire. Mindfulness may be a useful target for momentary\rintervention
Journal of Adolescent Health, 72(1) : 126-
129
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Cannabis Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy, Other Psychological Interventions, Mindfulness based
therapy
Kemp, K., Micalizzi, L., Becker, S. J., Cheaito, A., Suazo,
N. C., Fox, K., Hernandez, L., Spirito, A.
INTRODUCTION: Justice-involved youth (JIY) are at elevated risk for substance use and for substance use-related
harm compared to non-JIY. Marijuana use is of significant concern in this population, as it is tied to reoffending. Motivational enhancement therapy
(MET) and electronic interventions show promise in reducing youth substance use; the degree to which these findings extend to JIY requires additional
research attention. Thus, the purpose of this study was to test the preliminary feasibility and effectiveness of a combined brief electronic
parenting intervention plus a brief MET-based electronic intervention for JIY adolescents, followed by feedback and development of a change plan with
a court worker, on marijuana use.\rMETHODS: Participants were 83 parent-youth dyads recruited from a diversionary family court program who screened
positive for past-year marijuana use. At baseline and 3- and 6-month follow-ups, youth self-reported on their substance use, parental monitoring,
peer substance use, and dyads completed a discussion task querying parental monitoring, limit setting, and substance use. The study randomized dyads
to psychoeducation or the experimental intervention condition post-baseline. The MET-based intervention involved the self-administered e-TOKE (an
electronic, marijuana-specific assessment and feedback tool) and a brief follow-up meeting with court staff counselors to review feedback and create
a marijuana use change plan. Caregivers completed a computer program aimed at improving parenting and communication with their adolescents. The study
administered feasibility and acceptability measures for both conditions.\rRESULTS: Feasibility of study procedures was demonstrated through
recruitment and retention (~75 % success). Acceptability ratings from youth, parents, and court staff were high and positive. While levels of
parental monitoring, as assessed by an observational task, improved over the course of the study, the intervention did not result in a significant
change in any of the outcomes tested.\rCONCLUSIONS: Despite high acceptability and feasibility ratings for the use of an electronic plus in-person
MET intervention, reduction of marijuana and other substances was limited for most youth. This suggests that a more intensive intervention, such as
stepped care, may be necessary for JIY who are not specifically referred for court proceedings due to marijuana use or those with already well-
established use patterns.
Journal of Substance Use and Addiction
Treatment, 152 : 209100
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Alcohol
Use, Cannabis Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions
(any), Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy, Other Psychological Interventions, Personalised feedback, normative feedback, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Hua, D. Y., Hindocha, C., Baio, G., Lees, R., Shaban, N., Morgan, C. J., Mofeez, A., Curran, H. V., Freeman, T. P.
Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown promise in treating psychiatric disorders, including cannabis use disorder - a major
public health burden with no approved pharmacotherapies. However, the mechanisms through which CBD acts are poorly understood. One potential
mechanism of CBD is increasing levels of anandamide, which has been implicated in psychiatric disorders including depression and cannabis use
disorder. However, there is a lack of placebo-controlled human trials investigating this in psychiatric disorders. We therefore assessed whether CBD
affects plasma anandamide levels compared to placebo, within a randomised clinical trial of CBD for the treatment of cannabis use disorder.
Individuals meeting criteria for cannabis use disorder and attempting cannabis cessation were randomised to 28-day administration with placebo (n =
23), 400 mg CBD/day (n = 24) or 800 mg CBD/day (n = 23). We estimated the effects of each CBD dose compared to placebo on anandamide levels from
baseline to day 28. Analyses were conducted both unadjusted and adjusted for cannabis use during the trial to account for effects of cannabis on the
endocannabinoid system. We also investigated whether changes in plasma anandamide levels were associated with clinical outcomes relevant for cannabis
use disorder (cannabis use, withdrawal, anxiety, depression). There was an effect of 800 mg CBD compared to placebo on anandamide levels from
baseline to day 28 after adjusting for cannabis use. Pairwise comparisons indicated that anandamide levels unexpectedly reduced from baseline to day
28 in the placebo group (-0.048, 95% CI [-0.089, -0.007]), but did not change in the 800 mg CBD group (0.005, 95% CI [-0.036, 0.047]). There was no
evidence for an effect of 400 mg CBD compared to placebo. Changes in anandamide levels were not associated with clinical outcomes. In conclusion,
this study found preliminary evidence that 28-day treatment with CBD modulates anandamide levels in individuals with cannabis use disorder at doses
of 800 mg/day but not 400 mg/day compared to placebo.
Transl Psychiatry
Psychiatry, 13(1) : 131
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Cannabis Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions
(any), Other biological interventions
Hill, L. G., Bumpus, M., Haggerty, K. P., Catalano, R. F., Cooper, B. R., Skinner, M. L.
We present results of a randomized, controlled, efficacy trial of a handbook intervention for parents of first-year
college students. The aim of the interactive intervention was to decrease risk behaviors by increasing family protective factors. The handbook, based
in self-determination theory and the social development model, provided evidence-based and developmentally targeted suggestions for parents to engage
with their students in activities designed to support successful adjustment to college. We recruited 919 parent-student dyads from incoming students
enrolled at a university in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and randomly assigned them to control and intervention conditions. We sent handbooks to
intervention parents in June before students' August matriculation. Research assistants trained in motivational interviewing contacted parents to
encourage use of the handbook. Control parents and students received treatment as usual. Participants completed baseline surveys during their final
semester in high school (time 1) and their first semester at college (time 2). Self-reported frequency of alcohol, cannabis, and simultaneous use
increased across both handbook and control students. In intent-to-treat analyses, odds of increased use were consistently lower and of similar
magnitude for students in the intervention condition than in the control condition, and odds of first-time use were also lower in the intervention
condition. Contact from research assistants predicted parents' engagement, and parent and student report of active engagement with handbook
predicted lower substance use among intervention than control students across the transition to college. We developed a low-cost, theory-based
handbook to help parents support their young adult children as they transition to independent college life. Students whose parents used the handbook
were less likely to initiate or increase substance use than students in the control condition during their first semester in
college.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03227809.
, 24(6) : 1174-1186
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Alcohol
Use, Cannabis Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention, At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions
Griffin, K. W., Botvin, G. J., Scheier, L. M., Williams, C.
Most universal drug abuse prevention efforts target early adolescents with the goal
of delaying or preventing the onset of substance use. The present study examined long-term follow-up data from a large-scale randomized trial of a
school-based prevention program that used cognitive-behavioral skills-training techniques to enhance social and personal competence skills and drug
refusal skills. The preventive intervention was implemented in junior high schools, and pretest data were collected from students in the classroom.
Approximately 13 years later, follow-up data were collected by mail from 2042 young adults. Rates of overall lifetime illicit drug use, as well as
lifetime marijuana use, marijuana intoxication, and lifetime non-medical pill use, were lower among students who received the prevention program
(Life Skills Training) during junior high school compared to control group participants. These findings support the hypothesis that comprehensive,
universal school-based prevention programs can produce long-term effects on illicit drug use behavior. Copyright © The Author(s) 2023.
Journal of Public Health
Research, 12(1) :
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Substance Use Disorders (any), Cannabis Use, Opioid Use, Stimulant Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Skills training, Other Psychological Interventions
Galan, C. A., Shaw, D. S., O'Rourke,
F., Reynolds, M. D., Gill, A., Bogen, D. L., Ridenour, T. A.
This study evaluated acceptability, engagement in prevention, and efficacy of
a primary care screening-and-referral-to-prevention program to reduce substance use in early adolescence. Screening tools were the Youth Risk Index
and Transmissible Liability Index and prevention consisted of the Family Check-Up (FCU). Three hundred sixty-one 10- to 13-year-olds from low
resource neighborhoods (85.9% African American; 52.4% female) screened \"at risk\" during primary care visits and were randomized to the FCU (n=123)
or usual care (n=238). Screening was acceptable to parents and youths: nearly 95% of each rated it as important, about 90% of each were happy with or
did not mind it, and only 2.4% of parents did not want their child to be screened at their next check-up. Of parents who had a chance to receive the
FCU (or waitlist-control), 87.5% followed through with researchers while 93.5% who were offered FCU engaged in it. FCU efficacy primarily involved
interactions such that youth with greater risk at baseline experienced larger benefits. At 12-month follow-up, FCU was associated with 11% reduced
risk of initiating a new substance per substance that had been initiated before baseline; greater reductions in tolerance of deviance among those
with higher tolerance of deviance at baseline; and a main effect of reduced anxiety, but no effect for conduct problems. Pediatric well-child check-
up screening can identify high-risk youth before, or in the initial stages of, problematic SU; engage families in a preventive intervention; and
reduce rates of substance use and related risk factors. Copyright © 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media,
LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Research on child and adolescent psychopathology, 51(2) : 151-163
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Substance Use Disorders (any), Alcohol
Use, Cannabis Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention, At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions
(any), Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy, Personalised feedback, normative feedback
Dash, G. F., Bryan, A. D., Montanaro, E., Feldstein-Ewing, S. W.
Because adolescents are unlikely to seek, receive, or complete treatment for alcohol and/or cannabis misuse, it is important to
enhance the lasting impact of clinical contacts when they do occur. Adolescents (N = 506; 72.5% Hispanic) were randomized to motivational
interviewing (MI) versus alcohol and cannabis education (ACE). Latent growth models estimated change over time. Significant reductions in alcohol use
were observed, with slightly greater reductions by 12-month follow-up for MI. Both interventions significantly reduced cannabis use, with no
treatment group differences. When outcomes were examined comparing Hispanic to non-Hispanic participants, there were no significant differences in
intervention efficacy by group. MI's inherently client-centered and culturally adaptive approach may contribute to its equitable degree of behavior
change for youth across race/ethnic backgrounds.
Journal of Research on Adolescence, 33(3) : 1038-
1047
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Alcohol
Use, Cannabis Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy
Choi, M., Driver, M. N., Balcke, E., Saunders, T., Langberg, J. M., Dick, D. M.
BACKGROUND: Risky substance use among college students is widespread and associated with numerous negative
consequences. We created an online Personalized Feedback Program (PFP) for college students that targets genetically influenced risk pathways for
substance use and provides feedback on four risk domains (Sensation Seeking, Impulsivity, Extraversion, and Neuroticism) along with individualized
recommendations and campus resources.\rMETHODS: A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of the PFP on alcohol and
cannabis use. First-year college students were randomized to one of four groups: (1) control, (2) PFP, (3) computer-delivered brief motivational
intervention (BMI), and (4) combined group that included both the PFP and BMI (PFP+BMI). Students completed a baseline survey (n=251) that assessed
alcohol and cannabis use and program satisfaction. Two follow-up surveys were administered at 30-days and 3-months post-intervention to evaluate
longitudinal effects on substance use.\rRESULTS: Participants reported high satisfaction with the PFP. There were no significant effects of
intervention group on alcohol use at the follow-up timepoints, though trends were in the expected direction with participants in the PFP group
showing decreased odds of alcohol use. There were significant reductions in cannabis use in the PFP group as compared to other groups.\rCONCLUSIONS:
The PFP was met with high satisfaction and had a positive impact on reducing cannabis use. With cannabis use at a historic high among college-aged
adults, further research evaluating the effects of the PFP is warranted.
Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 249 : 110818
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Alcohol
Use, Cannabis Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions
(any), Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy, Other Psychological Interventions, Personalised feedback, normative feedback
Bonar, E. E., Chapman, L., Pagoto, S., Tan, C. Y., Duval, E. R., McAfee, J., Collins, R., Walton, M. A.
Purpose: Cannabis use is common among emerging adults (ages 18-25), yet few prevention interventions have targeted this unique
developmental period. Physical activity (PA) is an under-utilized intervention target for cannabis use, despite research showing its potential
utility. Based on prior promising social media-delivered interventions targeting cannabis and PA separately, we developed and piloted, in a
randomized controlled feasibility trial (NCT 04901910), interventions for emerging adults who use cannabis that focused on PA. Procedures: Using
social media, we recruited 60 emerging adults (Mean age=21.7 years; 63.3% female sex) who used cannabis (>=3 times/week for the past month) and could
engage in PA. We randomized participants into one of 3 conditions (PA-Only; PA+Cannabis, Attention-Control) that each lasted 8 weeks and were
delivered in secret Facebook groups by health coaches. We collected follow-up data at 3- and 6-months post-group start. Outcomes are presented
descriptively given the pilot nature and limited sample size.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 242 : 1-
9
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Cannabis Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Service Delivery & Improvement, Physical activity, exercise, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Wong,
M. D., Meza, B. P. L., Dosanjh, K.
K., Jackson, N. J., Seeman, T. E., Orendain, N., Dudovitz, R. N.
Importance: Interventions directly targeting social factors, such as education, may have the potential
to greatly improve health. Objective(s): To examine the association of attending a high-performing public charter high school with rates of substance
use disorder and physical and mental health. Design, Setting, and Participant(s): This cohort study used the random school admissions lottery system
of high-performing public charter high schools in low-income neighborhoods of Los Angeles, California, to examine the health outcomes of students who
applied to at least 1 of 5 of these high schools. Participants attended 147 different high schools and were randomly selected from those who won the
admissions lottery (intervention group) and those who were placed on a waiting list (control group). Participants were surveyed at the end of grade 8
through transition into grade 9 and then from grade 10 through 3 years after high school completion (at age 21 years). Surveys were conducted from
March 2013 through November 2021. Intervention(s): Attendance at a high-performing public charter high school. Main Outcomes and Measures: Self-
reported alcohol use disorder and cannabis misuse, delinquent behaviors, physical and mental health, and body mass index. Result(s): Of the 1270
participants at baseline (mean [SD] age, 14.2 [0.47] years; 668 female individuals [52.6%]). The control group included 576 individuals (45.4%), and
694 individuals (54.6%) were in the intervention group. Both groups were similar in almost all characteristics at baseline, and the median (IQR)
follow-up was 6.4 (6.0-6.7) years. Participants attending a high-performing public charter high school had a 53.33% lower rate of hazardous or
dependent alcohol use disorder compared with those in the control group (5.43% vs 11.64%; difference, -6.21% [95% CI, -11.87% to -0.55%]; P =.03).
Among male participants, the intervention group had a 42.05% lower rate of self-reported fair or poor physical health (13.33% vs 23.01%; difference,
-9.67% [95% CI, -18.30% to -1.05%]; P =.03) and a 32.94% lower rate of obesity or overweight (29.28% vs 43.67%; difference, -14.38% [95% CI, -25.74%
to -3.02%]; P =.02) compared with the control group. Among female participants, attending a high-performing public charter high school was associated
with worse physical health outcomes (30.29% vs 13.47% reporting fair or poor health; difference, 16.82% [95% CI, 0.36% to 33.28%]; P =.045) and
higher rates of overweight or obesity (52.20% vs 32.91%; difference, 19.30% [95% CI, 3.37% to 35.22%]; P =.02) at age 21 years. Few differences in
mental health outcomes were observed. Adjusting for educational outcomes did not significantly change these findings. Conclusions and Relevance:
Results of this study suggest that attending a high-performing public charter high school was associated with lower rates of substance use disorder
independent of academic achievement. Physical health and obesity outcomes were also better but only for young men; the intervention group had worse
physical health outcomes among young women for unclear reasons. Schools are a potent social determinant of health and an important target for future
health interventions.. Copyright © 2022 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
, 5(10) : E2235083
- Year: 2022
- Problem: Alcohol
Use, Cannabis Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Other service delivery and improvement
interventions
Valente-de-Almeida, S., Correa, R., Goncalves, J.
Objectives: We
measure the impacts of an intersectoral intervention tackling adolescent substance use implemented between 2017 and 2019 in a tri-border region of
Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Method(s): The intervention involved 23 institutions from different sectors and 880 adolescents, equally split
between randomly selected treatment and control classes across institutions. Treatment group students were involved in the co-development of
activities to tackle substance use within their institutions. Both treatment and control group students benefited from the activities developed and
implemented from the second year of the intervention. We use difference-in-differences models to measure the impacts of participation in the co-
development of the activities on alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis consumption. Result(s): Adolescents involved in the co-development of activities are
8 pp less likely to consume tobacco and cannabis, and 13 pp less likely to consume alcohol (p formula presented 0.01), compared to those who only
participate in the activities. Among cannabis users, frequent consumption is also reduced by the intervention. Peer frequency of consumption is
strongly associated with individual consumption. Conclusion(s): Co-development of activities by the subjects themselves can be key to decreasing
substance use in this very crucial stage of life, especially if the institutions and the implementers are familiar with the area and subjects of the
intervention. Copyright © 2022 Valente de Almeida, Correa and Goncalves.
International journal of public
health, 67 : 1604677
- Year: 2022
- Problem: Alcohol
Use, Cannabis Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Other service delivery and improvement
interventions