Feasibility and impact of brief interventions for frequent cannabis users in Canada

Cannabis use is prevalent among young people, and frequent users are at an elevated risk for health problems. Availability and effectiveness of conventional treatment are limited, and brief interventions (BIs) may present viable alternatives. One hundred thirty-four young high-frequency cannabis users from among university students were randomized to either an oral (C-O; n = 25) or a written experimental cannabis BI (C-W; n = 47) intervention group, or to either an oral (H-O; n = 25) or written health BI (H-W; n = 37) control group. Three-month follow-up assessments based on repeated measures analysis of variance techniques found a decrease in the mean number of cannabis use days in the total sample (p = 0.024), reduced deep inhalation/breathholding use in the C-O group (p = 0.003), reduced driving after cannabis use in the C-W group (p = 0.02), and a significant reduction in deep inhalation/breathholding in the C-O group (p = 0.011) compared with controls. Feasibility and short-term impact of the BIs were demonstrated, yet more research is needed.