A mix of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational incentives appears to be effective in treating patients with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Researchers from the University of Arkansas and the University of Vermont studied 90 adults over a 14-week period and compared three groups: those who received vouchers for submitting drug-free urines, those who only received CBT, and those who received CBT and vouchers.
At the end of the three-month treatment period, 43 percent of the CBT-plus-vouchers group had stopped using marijuana, compared to 40 percent of the voucher-only group and 30 percent of the CBT-only group.
At 12 months post-treatment, 37 percent of the CBT-plus group was still abstinent, compared to 17 percent of the vouchers-only group and 23 percent of the CBT-only group.
The research was published in the April 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical and Consulting Psychology.
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