Beyond abstinence: Redefining success in cannabis use disorder treatment
Tobias B. Atkin, Frances R. Levin, John Mariani, Christina A. Brezing · 2026
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Description
Tobias Atkin and colleagues argue in 2026 that trials for cannabis use disorder should stop judging success by total abstinence alone. Twenty years of drug trials have produced no reliably effective medicine for the condition. Full abstinence is hard to reach, may not match what patients want, and can hide real gains.
Many trials were labeled failures even though patients cut their use and felt or functioned better. Alcohol and tobacco research moved ahead by accepting measured cuts in use as valid outcomes. The authors propose shared reduction-based measures for cannabis trials, tied to mental health, physical health, and daily function. Abstinence would stay on the record as a secondary outcome rather than the sole bar.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Tobias B. Atkin, Frances R. Levin, John Mariani, Christina A. Brezing |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 38912 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |