Use of N-acetylcysteine in cannabis-dependent adolescents.
Jeremy Bradley, MD and Divya Gupta, MD
Clinical Question: Can N-acetylcysteine use in conjunction with cessation therapy and contingency management improve successful cannabis cessation in cannabis-dependent adolescents?
Clinical Bottom Line
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In a double-blinded randomized controlled trial of cannabis dependent adolescents , findings support use of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) along with psychosocial treatment yield a positive primary cessation outcome.
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NAC treatment group had greater than twice the odds compared with the placebo group of having negative urine cannabinoid tests while on treatment.
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Secondary abstinence outcomes favored the NAC treatment group but were not statistically significant.
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NAC was well tolerated with minimal adverse effects.
