Treatment

September 8, 2026 - Brief mindfulness intervention for adults with cannabis use disorder: A randomized clinical trial. Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is characterized by strong cravings and difficulty reducing or stopping cannabis use despite experiencing negative effects on one’s health or daily life. This study (Lorenzetti et al., 2025) examined whether a brief mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) could reduce how often and how much people used cannabis, as well as their cravings, compared with both a relaxation intervention and a control condition. If a brief, accessible, low-cost intervention were to be effective, more people with a CUD are likely to receive treatment.

The design of the study involved a double-blind randomized controlled trial. The sample consisted of 66 adults (19 women), ages 18–56, who met criteria for CUD and had tried to reduce or stop their cannabis use within the previous 2 years. Participants were recruited from the community in Melbourne, Australia, between October 2019 and July 2022. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: mindfulness-based intervention (n = 23), relaxation (n = 21), or control (n = 22). The interventions were delivered online and lasted an average of 16 days. Participants in all three groups monitored their cannabis use daily. The main outcome was change in the number of days cannabis was used from the beginning to the end of the study. We also examined changes in the amount of cannabis used, cravings, mindfulness, and relaxation. Analyses included all participants as originally assigned to their groups.

The MBI focused on the client to sustain attention to internal experiences without attempting to change them. That is, the instructions did not suggest that the intervention would reduce craving or change internal experiences. Rather, the goal was to remain alert and attentive. Participants were instructed to engage in “open monitoring” of their experiences, with particular attention to their feelings and bodily sensations, and to “experience craving in a different way.” By noticing bodily sensations, participants were told they could “experience them as temporary events in the body,” which could help them “tolerate [bodily sensations] without acting on them.”

The study results indicated that the mindfulness intervention did not significantly reduce the number of days participants used cannabis. It also did not produce significant improvements in the amount of cannabis used, cravings, relaxation, or mindfulness compared with the other conditions. These findings suggest that a longer or more intensive mindfulness intervention may be needed to produce meaningful reductions in cannabis use.

Commentary from this reviewer: This study reflects a growing literature that while intensive mindfulness-based therapy can be effective in addressing behavioral addictions, very brief interventions have limitations. Also, an addendum to this paper reported the correction of some errors in the statistical analysis. However, these changes did not alter the interpretation of any findings or conclusions.

August 24, 2026 - Interventions for cannabis use disorder. How to treat adults and adolescents with a Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) is a burgeoning research area. This article (Winters et al., 2021) reviews the empirical literature pertaining to treating CUD with psychosocial approaches (cognitive-behavior therapy, motivational enhancement, and contingency management), and it describes research on the use of emerging approaches.

The review concludes that CUD is treatable with evidence-based approaches, but most people with CUD never receive treatment. Other conclusions from the review:

· Psychosocial treatments have the strongest evidence. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational enhancement therapy (MET), and contingency management (CM) have demonstrated favorable outcomes for both adults and adolescents.

· These approaches can also be useful when CUD occurs alongside other substance use disorders.

· Pharmacotherapy is an emerging area. Although no medication is established as a definitive treatment for CUD, medications may help reduce cannabis withdrawal symptoms and some core features of CUD.

· Brief interventions offer a relatively accessible approach that can be delivered by a broad range of helping professionals, potentially reaching people who would not enter specialized substance-use treatment.

· Technology-delivered interventions—such as web- or mobile-based programs—may expand access to evidence-based treatment at relatively low cost.

Bottom line summary: The evidence base supports several effective behavioral treatments for CUD, particularly CBT, MET, and CM. The major challenge is not simply identifying effective treatments, but getting those treatments to the large proportion of people with CUD who never seek or receive care. Emerging medication, brief-intervention, and technology-based approaches may help close that treatment gap.

How to treat adults and adolescents with a Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) is a burgeoning research area. This article (Winters et al., 2021) reviews the empirical literature pertaining to treating CUD with psychosocial approaches (cognitive-behavior therapy, motivational enhancement, and contingency management), and it describes research on the use of emerging approaches.

The review concludes that CUD is treatable with evidence-based approaches, but most people with CUD never receive treatment. Other conclusions from the review:

· These approaches can also be useful when CUD occurs alongside other substance use disorders.

· Technology-delivered interventions—such as web- or mobile-based programs—may expand access to evidence-based treatment at relatively low cost.

August 24, 2026 - Admission delays in receiving treatment for cannabis use disorder among U.S. adolescents. This study (Kitsantas et al., 2026) examined delays in accessing publicly funded treatment among 124,501 U.S. adolescents ages 12–17 with cannabis use disorder (CUD) from 2012–2022.

About 31% experienced a treatment delay of more than one day after requesting services. Delays declined substantially from 2012–2013 through 2018, but then increased again, reaching 33.8% in 2022. Longer delays became more concerning in 2021–2022; in 2022, 5.4% waited at least 30 days.

Delays were more common among younger adolescents (12–14) than older teens. Males and White non-Hispanic youth had higher odds of experiencing delays. Youth referred by healthcare providers were more likely to experience delays than those who self-referred. Delays were particularly common in outpatient and residential/rehabilitation settings, compared with detoxification services.

A bottom line summary is that a substantial proportion of adolescents with CUD face delays in obtaining treatment, and the problem appears to have worsened since 2019. The findings highlight an important access-to-care problem, particularly for younger adolescents.