According to research, cannabis is the most abused drug in the United States, with over 7.5% of the population reporting to have used it in October 2018 (Brezing et al., 2021). While cannabis-related disorders appear to be similar to other drug use disorders, their long-term clinical effects are less severe. On average, adults in the United States seeking to treat cannabis addiction have used the drug for over ten years and have attempted to quit more than five times. Addicted cannabis users are also associated with psychiatric disorders and also abuse other drugs such as tobacco, cocaine, and alcohol. Therefore, it is critical that medical practitioners, especially psychiatrists treating cannabis addicted patients, offer effective-based treatments and provide education to patients to reduce addiction rates. Current research reveals that cannabis-related disorders can be treated with standard medical treatments involving behavioral and psychopharmacological treatments.
Among many psychotherapy treatments, cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most effective treatments for patients involved in heavy use of Cannabis Sativa. The treatment works by teaching patients to enhance self-control and stop the drug abuse and other problems that occur with the abuse. According to medical research, cannabis addiction is a learned behavior, and that regulating and stopping its abuse is also learning proof ( Buckner et al., 2017) . Cognitive-behavioral therapy, therefore, involves the interruption of compulsive use of cannabis by rewarding successful attempts. The treatment methods also include modifying unrealistic expectations and changing cognitive beliefs about the effects of cannabis, a process that propels motivation towards sobriety. Another treatment method for cannabis-related disorders is motivation enhancement therapy (MET), another treatment method for cannabis-related disorders, uses a counseling approach, helping addicts resolve their engagement with the drug and stop its use. The approach evokes cognitive changes sparked by internal motivations that guide the patients through the recovery process. According to current research, MET first starts with the initial assessment of the session, followed by a group treatment session ( Connor et al., 2021) . The therapist then provides feedback based on the first assessment results, which then stimulates discussion about personal issues that seek to elicit intrinsic motivational statements. Principles of motivation are then used to strengthen the plan for change, and effective coping strategies are then introduced to highly addicted individuals. While the effectiveness of MET differs from one drug to the other, the approach has been successfully used on patients with cannabis-related disorders. Combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy, MET engages patients with cannabis-related disorders in treatment which is more effective in accelerating recovery ( Palamar & Han, 2021) . Lastly, contingency management therapy is another effective method of treating cannabis-related disorders. Contingency management is a treatment approach that gives patients tangible rewards to reinforce abstinence and other positive behavior. According to research on psychosocial treatment programs, the incentive-based approach is highly effective in promoting abstinence from drugs. According to this approach, medical practitioners can use prizes or voucher-based reinforcement. The psychiatrist can offer prizes and vouchers to patients who supply drug-negative blood samples or urine after attending counseling sessions from a group of cannabis-related disorder patients.
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Today, it is vital for frontline physicians, especially psychiatrists who work with cannabis-related disorder patients, to offer effective evidence-based treatment and educate the public and drug-abuse patients. Since there are three psychotherapeutic treatments, including contingency management, cognitive behavioral therapy, and motivational enhancement therapy, for reducing the frequency of cannabis use, medical practitioners should implement the most effective strategy on their patients. Additionally, they should be aware of signs of prolonged use of cannabis, including depressions, anxiety, loss of appetite, restlessness, and lack of sleep, to effectively implement the right psychotherapy for treatment.
References
Brezing, C., Mitra, S., & Levin, F. R. (2021). Treatment of Cannabis-Related Disorders. The American Psychiatric Association Publishing Textbook of Substance Use Disorder Treatment , 251.
Buckner, J. D., Zvolensky, M. J., Ecker, A. H., Jeffries, E. R., Lemke, A. W., Dean, K. E., ... & Gallagher, M. W. (2017). Anxiety and cannabis-related problem severity among dually diagnosed outpatients: The impact of false safety behaviors. Addictive behaviors , 70 , 49-53.
Connor, J. P., Stjepanović, D., Le Foll, B., Hoch, E., Budney, A. J., & Hall, W. D. (2021). Cannabis use and cannabis use disorder. Nature Reviews Disease Primers , 7 (1), 1-24.
Palamar, J. J., Le, A., & Han, B. H. (2021). Quarterly trends in past-month cannabis use in the United States, 2015-2019. Drug and alcohol dependence , 219 , 108494.
