Influence of tiagabine maintenance on cannabis effects and related behaviors in daily cannabis users.
Michael J Wesley, Philip M Westgate, William W Stoops, Thomas H Kelly, Lon R Hays, Joshua A Lile
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology June 2018 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000180 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Placebo-controlled, double-blind, counterbalanced, within-subjects human laboratory study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Nontreatment-seeking daily cannabis users (3 female, 9 male) |
| Interventions | Tiagabine Smoked cannabis |
| Dose | 0 or 12 mg of tiagabine/day; smoked cannabis (0% and 5.9% Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) |
| Duration | Two 12-day outpatient maintenance phases, each consisting of a safety session, 7 maintenance days, and 4 experimental sessions |
| Measures | Marijuana Craving Questionnaire |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key points | Cannabis functioned as a reinforcer and produced prototypical effects, but tiagabine generally did not impact the effects of cannabis or alter naturalistic use. Tiagabine produced small but significant increases on two Marijuana Craving Questionnaire subscales and reductions in sleep time and positive mood upon awakening. The authors conclude these results do not support the potential efficacy of 12 mg of tiagabine as a stand-alone pharmacotherapy for cannabis use disorder. |
Abstract
No medications are approved for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) reuptake is modulated by cannabinoid (CB) receptor agonists, and there are shared effects between CB agonists and the GABA reuptake inhibitor tiagabine. This overlapping neuropharmacology suggested that tiagabine might be useful for CUD. The study determined the ability of tiagabine maintenance to reduce cannabis self-administration using a placebo-controlled, double-blind, counterbalanced, within-subjects design. Nontreatment-seeking daily cannabis users (N = 12; 3 female, 9 male) completed two 12-day outpatient maintenance phases (0 or 12 mg of tiagabine/day). Each phase consisted of a safety session, 7 maintenance days, and 4 experimental sessions. During experimental sessions, maintenance continued and participants completed two 2-day blocks of sampling and self-administration sessions to determine the reinforcing effects of smoked cannabis (0% and 5.9% Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Naturalistic cannabis use, the subjective, performance and physiological response to cannabis, as well as side effects, sleep quality, craving, other self-reported substance use, and observer ratings were also measured. Cannabis functioned as a reinforcer and produced prototypical effects (e.g., increased heart rate and ratings of "high"), but tiagabine generally did not impact the effects of cannabis, or alter naturalistic use. Furthermore, tiagabine produced small, but significant, increases on 2 subscales of a Marijuana Craving Questionnaire, and reductions in both the amount of time slept in the past 24 hr and ratings of positive mood upon awakening. These human laboratory results from a sample of nontreatment-seeking cannabis users do not support the potential efficacy of 12 mg of tiagabine as a stand-alone pharmacotherapy for CUD. (PsycINFO Database Record
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Healthy participants | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 48 |
| Distinct Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing Healthy, English-native, right-handed men who had used cannabis 15 times or less in... | 2009 | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial | n = 15 |
| Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Healthy male subjects | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 16 |
| Modulation of Mediotemporal and Ventrostriatal Function in Humans by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Healthy, native English-speaking, right-handed men of white race/ethnicity who had used... | 2009 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 15 |
| Cannabidiol (CBD) content in vaporized cannabis does not prevent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced impairment of driving and cognition Healthy volunteers with a history of light cannabis use | 2019 | Randomized, double-blind, within-subjects crossover | n = 14 |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- The dose effects of short-term dronabinol (oral THC) maintenance in daily cannabis users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence February 1, 2013
- Separate and combined effects of the GABA reuptake inhibitor tiagabine and Δ9-THC in humans discriminating Δ9-THC. Drug and Alcohol Dependence April 1, 2012
- Effects of tetrahydrocannabinol content on marijuana smoking behavior, subjective reports, and performance. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior September 1989
- A single dose study of nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid. Psychopharmacology 1980