Varenicline as a treatment for cannabis use disorder: A placebo-controlled pilot trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

An efficacious pharmacotherapy for cannabis use disorder (CUD) has yet to be established. This study preliminarily evaluated the safety and efficacy of varenicline for CUD in a proof-of-concept clinical trial.

Methods

Participants in this 6-week randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial received either varenicline (n = 35) or placebo (n = 37), added to a brief motivational enhancement therapy intervention. Outcomes included cannabis withdrawal, cannabis abstinence, urine cannabinoid levels, percent cannabis use days, and cannabis sessions per day.

Results

Both treatment groups noted significant decreases in self-reported cannabis withdrawal, percentage of days used, and use sessions per day during treatment compared to baseline. While this pilot trial was

SUBMITTER: McRae-Clark AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8665036 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature