A marijuana smoking cessation clinical trial utilizing THC-free marijuana, aversion therapy, and self-management counseling

Abstract

Twenty-two volunteer adult chronic marijuana smokers participated in a smoking cessation clinical trial. The mean age of the 16 male and 6 female subjects was 29.8 years. The mean number of years of marijuana smoking was 13.7. The mean number of daily marijuana cigarettes smoked was 3.4. The clinical trial consisted of five consecutive days of 50 minute aversion therapy sessions (faradic, rapid smoking, and quick puffing) utilizing THC-free marijuana. Three weekly 60 minute group cohort sessions in self-management counseling followed. The treatment period spanned four weeks. Pretreatment and posttreatment (one month interval) the Shipley Institute of Living Scale was administered to measure changes in both cognitive functioning and organic brain dysfunction. All 22 subjects achieved abstinence (by self-report) by the end of the five days of aversion therapy; 19 of 21 subjects (90.5%) reported abstinence at the conclusion of the clinical trial, following the group sessions. At six months post treatment follow-up 15 of the 20 subjects (75.0%) reported abstinence; at 12 month posttreatment follow-up 16 of the 19 subjects (84.2%) achieved abstinence. The mean number of daily marijuana cigarettes smoked by the subjects decreased from a baseline pretreatment level of 3.40 to 0 at the conclusion of aversion therapy, .07 at the conclusion of the clinical trial, .26 at six month posttreatment follow-up and .23 at the 12 month posttreatment follow-up. The mean scores on the Shipley Institute of Living Scale, were: IQ 106 and CQ 92 at pretreatment; IQ 112 and CQ 104 at posttreatment. The difference in these means was significant for both intelligence and conceptual quotient. The investigators conclude that the treatment procedure offers promise as a marijuana smoking cessation treatment program.