Pharmacological Treatment of Cannabis Dependence

A.M. Weinstein, and David A. Gorelic

Cannabis is the most frequently used illegal substance in the world [1–3]. Cannabis abuse and cannabis dependence are diagnoses recognized in the United States Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM IV) [4] and the WHO International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) [5]. In the United States, the number of individuals with disorders associated with cannabis use is twice that of any other illicit drug [1], with approximately 4 million adults meeting criteria for a life-time diagnosis of cannabis dependence [6]. Relapse rates for cannabis users in treatment are comparable to those found for other drugs of abuse [7–11]. 

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