Clinical and Neurobiological Effects of Cannabis Dependence in Young Adults (SCCAN)

The Scripps Research Institute

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Cannabis Withdrawal; Cannabis Dependence

Treatments: Drug: placebo; Drug: rimonabant

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT00656487

DA024194

P20DA024194 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to find out more about cognitive functioning in people who are cannabis dependent, relative to people who do not use cannabis, and how their brains process information after one month of not using cannabis. An additional goal is to characterize the severity of cannabis dependence using precipitated and naturalistic withdrawal with a double blind, placebo controlled, single administration of rimonabant. Research assessments occur bi-weekly throughout this 28 day study.

Enrollment: 66 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21 to 30 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Cannabis Dependent Subjects:

Inclusion Criteria:

• males or females 21-30 years of age
• meets Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) diagnosis of Cannabis Dependence
• willing to be abstinent for 28 days during study
• smokes < 10 cigarettes per day
• drinks < 1 (female) or < 2 (male) per day

Exclusion Criteria:

• active suicide ideation
• meets DSM-IV diagnosis for dependence on other substances other than cannabis
• significant medical disorders
• pregnant women
• meets DSM-IV diagnosis for a major Axis I disorder other than cannabis dependence
• currently taking psychoactive medication

Trial design

Primary purpose: Diagnostic

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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66 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Cannabis-dependent rimonabant

Experimental group

Description:

Cannabis dependent young adults administered rimonabant 90 mg at Day 0 and followed for 28 days post.

Treatment:

Drug: rimonabant

Cannabis-dependent placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Cannabis dependent young adults administered matched placebo at Day 0 and followed for 28 days post.

Treatment:

Drug: placebo

Non-cannabis using control

No Intervention group

Description:

Non-cannabis using demographically similar young adults followed for 28 days.