Impact of Reduced Cannabis Use on Functional Outcomes
Completed · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Cannabis, Cannabis Use
In brief
Nearly 20 million Americans report use of cannabis in the past month, and heavy cannabis use has increased by nearly 60% in the U.S. since 2007. Heavy cannabis use is associated with lower educational attainment, reduced physical activity, and increased rates of addiction, unemployment, and neuropsychological deficits. Studies by the lab and others suggest that cannabis use is also associated with increased mental health symptoms and suicidal and nonsuicidal self-injury. In addition, cannabis is the illicit drug most strongly associated with drugged driving and traffic accidents, including fatal accidents. There is evidence that sustained abstinence from cannabis can lead to improvements in the functional outcomes of former users. However, he degree to which reductions in cannabis use might be associated with positive changes in functional outcomes is currently unknown. The overall objective of the present research is to use ecological momentary assessment (EMA), a real-time, naturalistic data collection method, to study the impact of reduced cannabis use on functional outcomes in heavy cannabis users. Contingency management (CM) will be used to promote reductions in frequency and quantity of cannabis use. CM is an intensive behavioral therapy that is highly effective at producing short-term reductions in illicit drug use. The investigators novel approach includes mobile technology to make CM more portable and feasible. The present research will use this technology in conjunction with state-of-the-art EMA methods to study the impact of reduced cannabis use on key functional outcomes. The investigators central hypothesis is that reductions in frequency and quantity of cannabis use will lead to positive changes in cannabis users' mental health, physical activity, working memory, health-related quality of life, and driving behavior.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT03681353
- Run by
- Duke University
- People needed
- 25
- Starts
- 2019-04-04
- Expected to finish
- 2020-09-23
- Last updated by the study team
- 2021-03-05
Who can join
Age: 18 and older, up to 70. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- cannabis use on ≥40 of past 90 days
- ability to speak and write fluent English
- 18-70 years of age
- willingness to attempt to temporarily reduce cannabis use
You may not qualify if…
- expect to have an unstable medication regimen during the study
- are currently receiving non-study CUD treatment
- meet criteria for serious mental illness (e.g., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia)
- become imprisoned
- become hospitalized for psychiatric reasons
- become pregnant
- report imminent risk for suicide or homicide
- meet criteria for a substance use disorder other than CUD or tobacco
Where it is running
- Duke University Medical Center — Durham, North Carolina, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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