Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for cannabis regular users: Finally outcomes of a randomized clinical trial

Cannabis is the most widely used drug in the world, and the therapies proposed to help withdrawal are moderately effective. The MACBETH project is a pilot study in France. It evaluates the effectiveness of the mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) protocol for active cannabis users.

It comprises of two groups, an MBRP group and a Treatment As Usual (TAU) group, each with twenty participants. The primary endpoint reflects the frequency of cannabis use, and some secondary endpoints were evaluated (signs of withdrawal, adherence to treatment, and changes in consumption).

We found no significant difference between the two groups on the primary and secondary endpoints. We found one significant difference in the MBRP group by further analysis for treatment adherence via an indirect criterion, the attendance at all sessions (P-value=0.01). The number of units consumed from week 1 to week 8 significantly differed in the MBRP group (P-value<0.05) but not in the TAU group. The average number of units consumed from week 8 to 12 increased by 1.5 in the MBRP group compared with 3.4 in the TAU group. The MBRP protocol appears to be at least as effective as the TAU protocol on the assessed criteria, and the results seem to be more durable, although not significant (P-value=0.2).

The MBRP protocol shows interesting results compared to TAU in this major public health problem. Further studies could deepen this field of research, especially by following samples over the long-term and measuring cravings. The MBRP protocol is proving to be an effective and serious alternative psychotherapy to drug therapies in the world of addiction.