Effect of Quetiapine on Marijuana Withdrawal and Relapse

Marijuana Smoking Clinical Trial

Official title: Effect of Quetiapine on Marijuana Withdrawal and Relapse

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The objective of this study is to investigate the interaction between marijuana and quetiapine, with the goal of using this information to improve marijuana treatment outcome. It is hypothesized that quetiapine will decrease marijuana withdrawal and relapse. Primary outcome measures will be

1. marijuana's direct effects

2. marijuana withdrawal syndromes

3. marijuana relapse. It is also hypothesized that marijuana withdrawal will be associated with increased levels of stress hormones. A secondary measure will be salivary cortisol.

Clinical Trial Description

Quetiapine improves sleep and reduces anxiety and irritability, which are symptoms of marijuana withdrawal. Further, there are case reports showing that marijuana-dependent schizophrenics maintained on quetiapine had a 97.3% reduction in marijuana use. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine if quetiapine decreases marijuana's direct effects, symptoms of marijuana withdrawal and marijuana relapse in the laboratory. The study will utilize and inpatient/outpatient, counter-balanced design, with each participant maintained on placebo and quetiapine (200 mg/day) for 18 days. Participants will begin taking capsules as outpatients so that the dose can be incremented prior to the inpatient phase. While inpatient, participants will have the opportunity to self-administer placebo or active marijuana 6 times per day. Our laboratory model, which has distinguished the effects of a range of medications on marijuana withdrawal and relapse, will provide important information on the effect of quetiapine as a potential short-term pharmacotherapy to facilitate abstinence in the initial stages of marijuana treatment. ;

Study Design

Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator), Primary Purpose: Basic Science

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Marijuana Abuse
• Marijuana Smoking

• NCT number: NCT00743366
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: New York State Psychiatric Institute
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: August 2008
• Completion date: March 2009