A subset of heavy marijuana users have trouble quitting marijuana use and the number of those seeking treatment for problems related to marijuana is increasing. The purpose of this research study is to investigate whether dronabinol can reduce withdrawal effects associated with stopping marijuana use, if dronabinol can reduce the rewarding effects of smoked marijuana, and whether there are any cognitive performance deficits associated with dronabinol doses that produce such effects.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
24
10mg dronabinol administered 3x/day for 5 days
20mg dronabinol administered 3x/day for 5 days
40mg dronabinol administered 3x/day for 5 days
Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Peak Effect of Marijuana Withdrawal
Total withdrawal based on a composite score of the Marijuana Withdrawal Checklist (range 0-32; higher scores indicate greater withdrawal).
Time frame: Day 5 of the Dronabinol abstinence period
Subjective "Drug Effect" After Smoked Marijuana
Subjective drug effects on a 100mm point Visual Analog Scale reported following acute cannabis dose administration during dronabinol maintenance, scale ranging 0-100, with 0 being no effect and 100 being maximum effect
Time frame: Day 5 of the Dronabinol abstinence period
Heart Rate
Heart rate measured after acute cannabis exposure
Time frame: Assessed on Day 5 of dronabinol maintenance
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placebo dronabinol administered 3x/day for 5 days