Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. However, the treatment options for cannabis dependence are limited; notably, no effective pharmacotherapy has been developed. Conceptually, the ideal medication treatment for cannabis dependence would: 1. be safe when administered to patients actively using cannabis 2. reduce cannabis intake and promote abstinence 3. treat the symptoms of cannabis withdrawal 4. reduce craving and relapse risk 5. have a low abuse liability.
Conceptually, the pharmacodynamic and clinical actions of quetiapine suggest that it may be useful for cannabis dependence. By antagonizing dopamine, quetiapine may interfere with the reinforcing effects of cannabis, while serotonin type 2A, histamine type 1, and adrenergic receptor antagonism may reduce cannabis withdrawal symptoms, primarily by sedating and anxiolytic effects. The proposed research project is an open-label pilot study to evaluate the tolerability and ideal target dosing range for quetiapine treatment of cannabis dependence over an eight-week period. The purpose of this pilot study is to obtain preliminary data regarding the potential efficacy, tolerability and safety of quetiapine treatment of cannabis dependence before conducting a larger double-blind trial.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
15
Quetiapine treatment from 25 mg daily to 300 mg twice daily
Substance Treatment Research Service (STARS) of Columbia University
New York, New York, United States
Maximum Tolerated Dose of Quetiapine
Mean maximum tolerated dose of quetiapine
Time frame: assesssed daily during 8 weeks of study, mean maximum tolerated dose reported
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