Functional Outcomes of Cannabis Use (FOCUS) in Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Launched by VA OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT · Sep 24, 2020

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The Functional Outcomes of Cannabis Use (FOCUS) trial is studying how reducing cannabis use affects daily functioning in Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Many U.S. Veterans experience PTSD, and some are prescribed medical marijuana to help manage their symptoms. However, there hasn’t been a large study to show if cannabis actually helps. This trial aims to gather real-time information about what happens to Veterans’ daily lives when they cut back on cannabis use.

To participate in this study, you need to be a Veteran diagnosed with PTSD and have used cannabis on at least 13 days in the past month. You should also be comfortable speaking and writing in English. If you join, you can expect to share your experiences while the study looks at how reducing cannabis might improve your daily activities and overall well-being. It's important to note that those with certain psychiatric conditions or recent changes in medication will not be eligible to participate. This research will be the first of its kind, helping to shed light on the effects of cannabis on Veterans with PTSD.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Veteran status
• • Ability to speak and write fluent English
• • Current PTSD diagnosis
• • Use of cannabis on 13+ days in the past month (i.e., use on 3+ days per week)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• Participants will be excluded if they:
• • Have experienced a change in their psychiatric medication regimen during the past month (e.g., a new medication has been prescribed or the dose of an existing medication has been changed), or expect to experience a such a change during the course of the study
• • Are receiving non-study CUD treatment
• • Meet diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia (note that the SCID-5 (First et al., 2015) will be used to diagnoses these and other disorders)
• • Become imprisoned
• • Become hospitalized for psychiatric reasons
• • Report imminent risk for suicide or homicide
• • Meet current criteria for a substance use disorder other than cannabis use disorder or tobacco