How Effective Is Treatment for Marijuana Dependence?
Despite the need for marijuana dependence treatment in the United States, research on how to intervene effectively with this problem has been conducted only recently. This section describes the results of controlled trials conducted in the last decade to evaluate interventions for adults who are marijuana dependent. Special consideration is given to MTP, which is the largest study ever conducted of people who smoke marijuana. Controlled Studies The first controlled trial of marijuana dependence treatment (Stephens et al. 1994b) compared the effects of 10 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with 10 sessions of group discussion. The participants were 212 people who had used marijuana daily or almost daily for an average of 10 years. Both counseling approaches were modestly effective in helping a significant portion of participants achieve either abstinence or improvement. Contrary to predictions, the CBT approach was no more effective than social support with adults who were m
