Changes in marijuana use symptoms and emotional functioning over 28-days of monitored abstinence in adolescent marijuana users

Abstract

Rationale Advancing marijuana prevention and intervention efforts is important given decreasing perception of harm among adolescents and increasing marijuana legalization. Objectives This study evaluates how a monitored abstinence protocol may contribute to emotional functioning and changes in marijuana problems that can enhance successful outcomes for non-treatment seeking adolescent marijuana users. Methods Adolescent marijuana users (n=26) and demographically matched controls (n=30) completed 28-days of monitored abstinence confirmed by bi-weekly urine toxicology. Participants were given measures of emotional functioning, marijuana use symptoms, and reward sensitivity during monitored abstinence. Results All participants (N=56) completed the protocol, and 69% of marijuana users (n=18 of 26) were confirmed abstinent for 28-days, with all users showing decreasing marijuana use. Reductions in subsyndromal depression, positive marijuana use expectancies, and poor sleep quality were observed by the end of the monitored abstinence period (n=26, ps<.05). Marijuana users also reported more attentional impulsivity and less responsiveness to reward stimuli during the second week of abstinence compared to controls. Later age of onset of regular marijuana use and more cumulative lifetime use was associated with a greater degree of emotional change and increased recognition of the negative effects of marijuana use. Conclusions Monitored abstinence programs may be beneficial in reducing marijuana use, subsyndromal emotional distress symptoms, and changing beliefs about marijuana use. Future prevention and intervention efforts may consider targeting reward sensitivity and impulsivity, in addition to marijuana use, expectancies, and emotional functioning.

Cannabis cessation among youth: rates, patterns and academic outcomes in a large prospective cohort of Canadian high school students

“…16,30 Canadian youth perceive cannabis as less harmful and easier to quit than other substances while describing long-term negative effects on behaviour after cessation. 13 In line with this, the lowest average cessation rate was observed among weekly users, who, though significantly affected in terms of their academic achievement, 4 are more likely than monthly users to experience withdrawal 31,32 and less likely than daily users to perceive a problem with their use. 13,33 The low rates observed for high magnitude reductions and cessations from weekly use suggest that many regular users persist in behaviours that will significantly increase their morbidity…”

Cannabis Use in Patients Presenting to a Gastroenterology Clinic: Associations with Symptoms, Endoscopy Findings, and Esophageal Manometry

“…Furthermore, psychiatric disorders were not accounted for in this study. Previous studies have directly linked cannabis use to depression, anxiety and sleep quality which may impact the onset and/or the resolution of gastrointestinal symptoms [23,24]. Future studies should include all of this data in order to generate clear and strong conclusions.…”

Cannabis and the developing brain: What does the evidence say?

“…As only few longitudinal studies outside of our laboratory have examined cannabis users pre and postinitiation (Jackson et al, ; Meier et al, ; Meier et al, ; Mokrysz et al, ), our laboratory will continue to study how preexisting vulnerabilities and cannabis‐related brain changes interact and influence healthy outcomes. Currently, we have evidence to suggest recency, frequency, and age of onset of cannabis are likely key variables in predicting not only poor neural health and cognitive functioning, but emotional functioning as well (e.g., depression) (Jacobus et al, ). Larger prospective studies such as the newly launched Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study will help us better understand the role of preexisting childhood brain differences that contribute to substance use initiation and progression to problematic use, and ultimately poorer health outcomes for adolescents and young adults (Garavan et al, ; Lisdahl et al, ).…”