MARIJUANA PHARMACOTHERAPIES: CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIALS

描述：（申请人摘要） 大麻制剂是世界上最常用的非法物质， 美国的近年来，大麻的使用率，反过来， 尤其是在年轻人中。大量和长期使用 大麻会带来严重的疾病。在未来的几年里，大麻 依赖性将可能成为一个更加严重和普遍的健康问题。 相比其他物质的滥用，治疗重度和慢性 大麻的使用（依赖）受到的调查相对较少。 对大麻依赖的对照治疗试验很少。最近 动物和人类实验室研究的特征是 与突然停止吸食大麻有关的症状。这些症状 其特征是一系列的影响，包括焦虑，易怒， 抱怨和睡眠困难与大麻有关的症状 戒断类似于抑郁症和尼古丁戒断，这表明 药物干预的效用。我们提出了一个精心构建的 双盲安慰剂对照试验测试两种药物，安非他酮和 奈法唑酮，在心理社会干预的背景下。我们假设 减少戒断症状将导致更大的治疗保留， 导致寻求治疗的大麻使用者的禁欲率更高。

DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) Cannabis preparations are the most commonly used illicit substances in the United States. In recent years, rates of marijuana use and, in turn, dependence have been rising, especially among younger people. Heavy and chronic use of marijuana carries with it substantial morbidity. In the years to come, cannabis dependence will likely become an even more severe and prevalent health problem. Compared to other substances of abuse, the treatment of heavy and chronic marijuana use (dependence) has received comparatively little investigation. There are very few controlled treatment trials for cannabis dependence. Recent animal and human laboratory studies have characterized substantial withdrawal symptoms associated with the abrupt cessation of marijuana. These symptoms are characterized by a range of effects that include anxiety, irritability, somatic complaints, and difficulty sleeping. The symptoms associated with marijuana withdrawal resemble both depression and nicotine withdrawal, suggesting the utility of a pharmacological intervention. We propose a carefully constructed double-blind placebo-controlled trial testing two agents, bupropion and nefazodone, in the context of psychosocial intervention. We hypothesize that reducing withdrawal symptoms will result in greater retention in treatment and lead to higher rates of abstinence in treatment seeking marijuana users.