Overall, in 15% to 16% of all treatment requests, cannabis appeared to be the primary selleck bio drug. Obviously, it has to be taken into account that this increase is possibly due to a decrease of the help-seeking behaviour of users of other types of substances. Research on the characteristics of cannabis users seeking treatment is scarce and focuses al-most entirely on the North American and Canadian situation [16-19]. What we can learn from these studies is that cannabis users seeking treatment are more likely to be male, single, under the age of 20 and in high school. Legal, school or family-based pressure to enter treatment are commonly present [19]. Furthermore, they appear to have problems in various life domains: health (especially respiratory problems), psychological status, memory, motivation, social interaction, interest in activities, etc.
[20]. The majority of published studies focusing on the characteristics of primary cannabis users seeking treatment and the outcomes of their treatment are based on experimental marijuana-specific treatment programmes [16,17]. Because of the often stringent exclusion criteria that were used to define the study sample, the findings of those studies regarding socio-demographic and other characteristics may not be representative for the cannabis treatment-seeking population as a whole. Objectives of the study As the number of cannabis-related treatment requests rises, it is important to gather back-ground information on the socio-demographic, substance-related and treatment seeking characteristics of this particular group of primary cannabis users seeking treatment since differences between cannabis and other drug users may be of clinical importance in developing efficacious treatment interventions.
A recent review [21] demonstrates that, at this point, no single psychotherapy has clearly proven to be more effective than another for the treatment of cannabis dependence, and no pharmacological treatment yet exists. Despite the high prevalence of cannabis use and dependence, Nordstrom and Levin [21] conclude that the phenomenon remains rather understudied compared to other legal and illegal substances. In this study, treatment seekers with cannabis as primary drug will be compared with treatment seekers who have alcohol, opiates, amphetamines or cocaine as their primary drug in order to grasp the unique characteristics of primary cannabis users seeking treatment.
Understanding how treatment seekers with cannabis as primary drug differ from those having other substances as primary drug may assist clinicians in better tailoring treatment processes to clients’ needs. After all, it is generally acknowledged that GSK-3 treatment which is adapted to clients’ needs and characteristics (e.g. type of substance abuse) is more effective [22].