The effect of high-dose dronabinol (oral THC) maintenance on cannabis self-administration.
Nicolas J. Schlienz, Dustin C Lee, Maxine L Stitzer, Ryan Vandrey
Drug and Alcohol Dependence June 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.02.022 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Residential within-subjects crossover study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 13 |
| Population | Non-treatment seeking daily cannabis users |
| Interventions | Dronabinol Smoked cannabis |
| Dose | low-dose dronabinol 120 mg/day (40 mg tid); high-dose dronabinol 180-240 mg/day (60-80 mg tid); smoked cannabis <1% THC (placebo) or 5.7% THC (active) |
| Duration | 12 consecutive days per dronabinol maintenance phase |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Dronabinol Pharmacotherapy Withdrawal |
| Key points | Dronabinol maintenance reduced self-administration of active (5.7% THC) smoked cannabis compared with placebo maintenance in daily cannabis users, with no difference between low-dose (120 mg/day) and high-dose (180-240 mg/day) dronabinol. The authors conclude that chronic dronabinol dosing can reduce cannabis self-administration and suppress withdrawal symptoms, and argue cannabinoid agonist medications should continue to be explored for treating cannabis use disorders. |
Abstract
There is a clear need for advancing the treatment of cannabis use disorders. Prior research has demonstrated that dronabinol (oral THC) can dose-dependently suppress cannabis withdrawal and reduce the acute effects of smoked cannabis. The present study was conducted to evaluate whether high-dose dronabinol could reduce cannabis self-administration among daily users. Non-treatment seeking daily cannabis users (N = 13) completed a residential within-subjects crossover study and were administered placebo, low-dose dronabinol (120 mg/day; 40 mg tid), or high-dose dronabinol (180-240 mg/day; 60-80 mg tid) for 12 consecutive days (order counterbalanced). During each 12-day dronabinol maintenance phase, participants were allowed to self-administer smoked cannabis containing <1% THC (placebo) or 5.7% THC (active) under forced-choice (drug vs. money) or progressive ratio conditions. Participants self-administered significantly more active cannabis compared with placebo in all conditions. When active cannabis was available, self-administration was significantly reduced during periods of dronabinol maintenance compared with placebo maintenance. There was no difference in self-administration between the low- and high-dose dronabinol conditions. Chronic dronabinol dosing can reduce cannabis self-administration in daily cannabis users and suppress withdrawal symptoms. Cannabinoid agonist medications should continue to be explored for therapeutic utility in the treatment of cannabis use disorders.
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
Cited by 4
- Cannabinoid Exposure and Subjective Effects of THC and CBD in Edible Cannabis Products. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research February 1, 2024
- Helpful or Harmful? The Therapeutic Potential of Medications with Varying Degrees of Abuse Liability in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders. Current Addiction Reports August 15, 2022
- 'Synthetic cannabis': A dangerous misnomer. International Journal of Drug Policy December 1, 2021
- Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol. ACS Chemical Neuroscience May 15, 2019
Cites 3
- The dose effects of short-term dronabinol (oral THC) maintenance in daily cannabis users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence February 1, 2013
- Dronabinol for the treatment of cannabis dependence: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Drug and Alcohol Dependence July 1, 2011
- Effects of oral THC maintenance on smoked marijuana self-administration. Drug and Alcohol Dependence August 1, 2002