Behavioral Therapy for Marijuana Users

Research into marijuana addiction therapy has been somewhat lacking, in part because for many years experts did not believe the drug was physically addictive.



One recent study focused on men in their 30s who had been regularly using marijuana for at least 10 years. The study found similar benefits from a 14-session group therapy treatment with a cognitive-behavioral focus, and just two sessions of individual therapy. About 30 percent of the users in both groups were able to maintain abstinence over the following year.



A current area of research involves establishing a system of rewards which patients can earn through continued abstinence, as verified by urine testing.



Programs aimed specifically at teens often include an element of family therapy to establish a family system that supports the young patient's continued abstinence.