Unravelling the landscape of Cannabis craving pharmacological treatments: a PRISMA-guided review of evidence.

Currently, few treatments are available for craving in general, and none of them have received approval for cannabis craving. The objective of this review is to evaluate existing studies analysing treatments for cannabis craving and explore novel treatment possibilities for these patients. The study followed PRISMA guidelines and conducted an extensive database search. Inclusion criteria included human randomised controlled trials examining drug effects on craving symptoms. Exclusion criteria involved studies unrelated to craving, non-pharmacological treatments, duplicates, and non-English/Spanish/Portuguese articles. Our included 22 studies that investigated a wide range of compounds used for cravings related to other drugs, as well as interventions based on healthcare professionals' empirical knowledge. The current pharmacological treatments largely involve off-label drug use and the utilisation of cannabinoid-based medications, such as combinations of THC and lofexidine, oxytocin, progesterone, and N-acetylcysteine. These emerging treatments show promise and have the potential to revolutionise current clinical practices, but further investigation is needed to establish their efficacy. In this context, it is essential to consider non-pharmacological interventions, such as psychotherapy and behavioural treatments. These approaches play a crucial role in complementing pharmacological interventions and addressing the complex nature of the disorder.

Is self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence an useful measure for smoking cessation effectiveness among individuals with mental disorders?

Smoking rates among individuals with mental disorders are higher compared to general population. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a smoking cessation treatment among individuals with and without mental disorders. Self-report 7-day point prevalence was used to assess abstinence status among 'intention to treat' (n = 1,213) and 'completers-only' (n = 578) samples. Participants were distributed in (1) ND-only; (2) ND and other substance use disorder (ND-SUD); (3) ND associated with mental disorder but no other SUD (ND-MD); and (4) co-morbid ND, SUD and MD (ND-SUMD). The treatment program was composed by six weeks of group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and medical consultations. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied. Rates of abstinence between ND-only and both ND-MD and ND-SUMD differed in the 'intention-to-treat' sample, with the former group showing the best rate (62.5%, 48% and 45.4% respectively). ND-SUD had the second-best rate of abstinence (56.1%). Differences between groups were not observed among 'completers-only'. Self-report 7-day point prevalence abstinence is economical and reliable to be used in low to middle-income countries. In this study, it showed that the 6-week smoking cessation treatment had a positive effect among completers, which supports the importance of investing in treatment to decrease smoking prevalence in this population.

Immigrants, refugees and cannabis use.

Immigration typically occurs from low- to high-income countries and regions. Unfortunately, these wealthier areas also have higher rates of cannabis use (e.g. European Union and the US). This systematic review aimed to summarize available studies on cannabis use among immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. In addition, evidence on the association between immigration and cannabis use was reviewed. The rates of cannabis use were lower among immigrants than natives. The risk and protective factors to cannabis use were quite similar to those of the native populations. The population at greatest risk for cannabis use were refugees, males, singles, non-religious, those with lower educational level, living in urban areas, with friends that use cannabis and/or other drugs. Cannabis use tend to increase over generations, and acculturation seems to play a pivotal role. First generation migrants report equal or lower consumption of cannabis when compared with the majority population with a subsequent increase in following generations, with a clear association with acculturation factors. A higher cannabis use was found among migrants with lower cultural congruity as well as a higher level of culture assimilation. This use seems to be unrelated to alcohol or illicit drugs consumption, but possibly associated with tobacco smoking.

The role of global vulnerability for mental and substance use disorders.

Social exclusion and poverty are associated with increased mental health issues. In addition, the current political and civil conflicts worldwide are also considered as leading factors to mental disorders and substance use disorders. The Compassion, Assertive action, Pragmatism and Evidence (CAPE) index comprises nine country-level measures and highlights the need for assistance in countries with a high degree of vulnerability. Several findings from previous studies reported a broad relationship between CAPE indices and increased levels of mental disorders and substance use. In this paper, we identified the prevalence of mental disorders and substance use disorders among those countries reporting higher (i.e., highest CAPE Index scores) as well as lower (i.e., highest Quality of Life Index scores) vulnerability. We extracted prevalence data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation global database in 2019. There was a lower prevalence of mental (12.5%) and substance use (1.7%) disorders in highly vulnerable countries than less vulnerable ones (15.1% and 3.5%, respectively). These findings suggest an urgent need for early detection of mental and substance use disorders in vulnerable countries: increasing mental health literacy among non-specialized health professionals in these regions may greatly improve the level of detection and treatment.

A Qualitative Study of Chronic Hookah Use in São Paulo, Brazil.

Background: Hookah is a device commonly employed for the use of tobacco, which is becoming popular in Western countries, especially among young people. In fact, its use has become a public health problem worldwide. Few Brazilian studies have researched its use, in this way, hookah culture has not been adequately examined in the country. Objective: This study aimed to investigate in depth the culture of hookah use in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: To do so, a cross-sectional, observational qualitative study was conducted. An intentional sample made by 29 subjects was selected through key informants and the snowball sampling technique. Participants were asked to engage in a semi-structured individual interview, which was recorded with the participant's prior consent. The interviews were analyzed according to Bardin's content analysis method. Results: Most of the participants were young, single men. The use of hookah is predominantly done in groups and during festive situations. Public places such as lounges, snack bars, and on the street were most often reported locations for hookah use. Interviewees have reported using hookah for long periods of time, for instance, from 1 to 10 hours continuously. Physical and psychological effects were reported, especially unpleasant ones. Engagement in polydrug use was reported for coping with the hookah effects. Participating in games was the main reason to use hookah. Conclusions: It is worrisome that a health risk behavior such as hookah use is conducted as an entertainment activity among young people, and thus it deserves a different approach and evaluation from the appropriate authorities.

Neural Correlates of Depressive Symptoms in Smokers - A Systematic Review of Imaging Studies.

This review aims to summarize neuroimaging studies in order to better understand the neural correlates of depressive symptoms in tobacco smokers. Using the keywords "depressive OR depression" AND "tobacco OR nicotine OR smok* OR cigarette" AND "neuroimage OR magnetic resonance OR smri OR structural magnetic resonance OR fmri OR functional magnetic resonance OR pet OR positron emission tomography", literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and PsycINFO databases. The first and the last author read the abstracts of all the studies found in the search (n = 179). The inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied and 150 articles were excluded. Then, both authors assessed the remaining 29 studies for eligibility and 16 studies were included in the present review. In the phase of active/chronic smoking, depressive symptoms are characterized as comorbidity related to an enhancement of dopamine release, and smokers have decreased Monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A). Stimuli-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (Stimuli-fMRI) studies also show that there is a positive correlation between the level of depressive symptoms and a greater response to general negative stimuli in active/chronic smokers. In the withdrawal phase, depressive symptoms are related to the withdrawal syndrome and increased MAO-A. Stimuli-fMRI studies show that there is a negative correlation between level of depressive symptoms and reactivity to negative stimuli in recent abstinent smokers. Major areas of the reward system such as the striatum and areas related to impulse control are activated to a greater extent in depressive smokers compared to non-depressed smokers.

Prevalence and correlates of cannabis use among athletes-A systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Despite scientific evidence that marijuana impairs performance and mental health, there is evidence that some athletes are at higher risk for use. This review aims to identify possible risk factors associated with marijuana use in athletes. METHODS: A search was conducted in the PubMed database with the keywords: (marijuana OR cannabis OR tetrahydrocannabinol OR delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol OR THC) AND (sports OR sport OR athlete OR athletes). We retrieved 186 studies. After applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 15 studies remained for review. RESULTS: The review revealed a number of potential risk factors for marijuana use among adult athletes, including being male, Caucasian, using sport performance-enhancing drugs, using marijuana to enhance recreation or non-sport performance, and practicing specific types of sports including skeleton, bobsleding, and ice hockey. Contrary to use patterns in the general population, among athletes marijuana appears to take the place of tobacco as the second most widely used drug, after alcohol. Many elite athletes denied the use of marijuana, which suggests that toxicological testing is an important tool for identifying users, because it is more accurate than self-report. Geography appears important, as in areas of high consumption, prevalence among athletes appears to be greater as well. CONCLUSION AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: Contrary to the image that athletes do not use psychoactive drugs, this review suggests that a number of athletic subgroups are at increased risk for marijuana use. Surprisingly, a common rationale for use appears to be to enhance sports performance. As in the general population, experimentation starts early-in pre-adolescence-at an age that prevention and guidance programs could have positive influences. (Am J Addict 2016;25:518-528).

Discussing prevalence, impacts, and treatment of substance use disorders in athletes.

The consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs has become a concern in high-performance athletes. Professional athletes are more exposed to drugs than the general population. Although some drugs are unquestionably detrimental to performance, several studies have nevertheless shown evidence of increased consumption of these substances within this sub-population. This review aimed to elucidate alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, cannabis, and opioid use among high-performance athletes, discussing the prevalence of substance use, its impacts, and alternatives to treatment in this special population. Unfortunately, no clinical trials for the treatment of substance use disorders were carried out with this specific sub-population. Therefore, the strategies adopted for the general population should be adapted to high-performance athletes. Psychological, psychosocial, psychoeducational, cognitive-behavioural, motivational interviewing approaches can be implemented. As regards pharmacological treatment, medications used in the treatment of alcohol and tobacco dependence, such as naltrexone, disulfiram, acamprosate, varenicline, bupropion, and nicotine replacement treatment can be used without problems. However, some medications used in cocaine and opioid dependence treatment, such as moldafinil and methadone, are prohibited by doping enforcement agencies. Professionals involved with athletes should be aware of the signs and symptoms of the acute effects of substances so as to enable an early identification of substance abuse problems, especially during training periods.

Adolescent Characters and Alcohol Use Scenes in Brazilian Movies, 2000-2008.

Quantitative structured assessment of 193 scenes depicting substance use from a convenience sample of 50 Brazilian movies was performed. Logistic regression and analysis of variance or multivariate analysis of variance models were employed to test for two different types of outcome regarding alcohol appearance: The mean length of alcohol scenes in seconds and the prevalence of alcohol use scenes. The presence of adolescent characters was associated with a higher prevalence of alcohol use scenes compared to nonalcohol use scenes. The presence of adolescents was also associated with a higher than average length of alcohol use scenes compared to the nonalcohol use scenes. Alcohol use was negatively associated with cannabis, cocaine, and other drugs use. However, when the use of cannabis, cocaine, or other drugs was present in the alcohol use scenes, a higher average length was found. This may mean that most vulnerable group may see drinking as a more attractive option leading to higher alcohol use.

The role of drug use sequencing pattern in further problematic use of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other drugs.

BACKGROUND: There has been considerable debate regarding what typically occurs after experimentation with drugs throughout the life of young people who used various drugs. AIMS: To evaluate the clinical importance of the most common sequence for the first use of a drug by two models (the "gateway model" and the "alternative model", which is the most popular sequence for Brazilian university students according to a previous study) regarding the problematic use of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other illegal drugs, assessed by ASSIST. METHOD: People who had already experimented with three or more drugs across different stages of the two models were selected from a representative sample of university students from 27 Brazilian capitals (n = 12 711). FINDINGS: There were no differences regarding the problematic use of the most consumed drugs in Brazil (alcohol, tobacco and cannabis) between the models. Multiple drug seekers and violators had more problematic use of illegal drugs other than cannabis than individuals in the model sequence. However, in the case of violators, this was only evident in the alternative model. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple drug seekers and violators deserve special attention due to their increased risk of problematic use of other illegal drugs.

Alcohol and tobacco consumption affects bacterial richness in oral cavity mucosa biofilms.

BACKGROUND: Today there are more than 2 billion alcohol users and about 1.3 billion tobacco users worldwide. The chronic and heavy use of these two substances is at the heart of numerous diseases and may wreak havoc on the human oral microbiome. This study delves into the changes that alcohol and tobacco may cause on biofilms of the human oral microbiome. To do so, we used swabs to sample the oral biofilm of 22 subjects; including 9 control-individuals with no or very low consumption of alcohol and no consumption of tobacco, 7 who were chronic and heavy users of both substances and 6 active smokers that reported no significant alcohol consumption. DNA was extracted from swabs and the V1 region of the 16S rRNA gene was PCR amplified and sequenced using the Ion Torrent PGM platform, generating 3.7 million high quality reads. DNA sequences were clustered and OTUs were assigned using the ARB SILVA database and Qiime. RESULTS: We found no differences in species diversity and evenness among the groups. However, we found a significant decrease in species richness in only smokers and in smokers/drinkers when compared to controls. We found that Neisseria abundance was significantly decreased in both groups when compared to controls. Smokers had significant increases in Prevotella and Capnocytophaga and reductions in Granulicatella, Staphylococcus, Peptostreptococcus and Gemella when compared to the two other groups. Controls showed higher abundance of Aggregibacter, whilst smokers/drinkers had lower abundances of Fusobacteria. Samples from only smokers clustered closer together than to controls and smokers/drinkers, and also had a significant reduction in inter-group dissimilarity distances, indicating a more homogenous group than controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the continued use of tobacco or alcohol plus tobacco significantly reduces bacterial richness, which apparently leads to a reduction in inter-group variability, turning the respective biofilms into a more homogenous microenvironment in terms of bacterial community composition, with possible consequences for human oral diseases.

Retention predictors of a smoking treatment provided by a public psychosocial unit in Brazil.

Psychosocial units in Brazil (CAPS) provide access to mental health and addiction patients, who are not routinely treated for nicotine dependence. The present study analysed predictors of retention of a 6-week treatment provided by a CAPS unit to 367 smokers with a high rate of psychiatric disorders and addictions for the period 2007-2010. Several baseline variables were collected. Retention was defined as the presence of the individual in all four medical consultations and six group sessions. Multivariate discrete time Cox survival regression models were used to test for the outcome of interest. Timetables were used to explore in which moment of the treatment each predictor was important. Time to smoking the first cigarette (TTFC) 5 min or later after waking and nicotine patch use (nicotine replacement therapy, NRT) were associated with retention. The present study supports the importance of the variables TTFC and NRT when used in treatment retention for a sample with a high rate of psychiatric and alcohol disorders. NRT seems to be very important in the beginning of the treatment, probably because of withdrawal symptoms. Individuals currently undergoing psychiatric treatment and with alcohol problems had good retention rates comparable to the other individuals.

ICD-10 mental and behavioural disorders due to use of crack and powder cocaine as treated at a public psychiatric emergency service: an analysis of visit predictors.

The present study investigated the predictors of an increased number of visits from individuals with some of the diagnoses noted in chapter F14 of ICD-10, from calls to the emergency psychiatric unit of a general hospital in São Paulo state, Brazil, in the period 2011-2012. Poisson regression models were carried out for the outcome variable, accounting for number of subsequent visits to the psychiatric emergency unit. For the analysis of this outcome we took into account the exposure time of each individual in the study. Our findings point to a population at risk for frequent psychiatric emergency service visits: individuals over 25 years. This population should be targeted for interventions on entry into public healthcare due to increased psychiatric morbidity and greater clinical morbidity already confirmed by previous studies. We discussed the need of these individuals for special attention during the clinical or psychiatric emergency consultation which, unfortunately, may be the access point for the public health system. None of the other variables were related to the outcome of interest, such as those related to the level of individual entry into the care network before and after treatment, and other variables related to medical acts during the visit.

Use transition between illegal drugs among Brazilian university students.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to test whether the first use of an illicit drug increases the chance of first use of other illicit drugs. METHOD: The transitions from the first use of a drug to the first use of another drug were analyzed. Comparisons were made between first drug users and non-users. Survival analysis methods were used to compare the cumulative probability of second drug use after adjusting for socio-demographic covariates and the intermediate use of alcohol and/or tobacco. A total of 12,721 Brazilian university students participated in this study. RESULTS: Inhalants and marijuana were used prior to the use of several other drugs, whereas the opposite pattern was not found. Ecstasy was used before other drugs in several instances. Other well-examined drugs, such as amphetamines, cocaine and hallucinogens, were used both before and after other illicit drugs without any marked predominance for either of the two roles. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the role of the use of marijuana and inhalants almost exclusively before the use of other illicit drugs, whereas the use of ecstasy has an opposite role. These roles could be linked to the prevalence of lifetime use and whether individuals were at an earlier or later age during experimentation.

DSM-5 alcohol use disorder criteria in "Crazy Heart" (2009)-a media content analysis with teaching purposes.

OBJECTIVE: The movie Crazy Heart (2009) draws our attention to alcohol disorders as it has a large number of scenes which portray alcohol consumption and fulfill the new DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorder (DSM-5-AUD) criteria. In view of the recent launch of DSM-5, this is an appropriate opportunity to explore alcohol consumption in a large number of scenes employing the DSM-5-AUD criteria to study this. METHODS: We use media content analysis to identify DSM-5 AUD criteria as portrayed by the main protagonist of the movie Bad Blake in a structured manner. We studied his behavior and attitudes in the context of the film structure and storyline. RESULTS: The severity continuum of DSM-5 AUD can be demonstrated through the trajectory of the character Bad Blake. In the course of the movie, there is some reference to all the DSM-5-AUD criteria, which can be applied to this character within the 21 scenes selected for this study. CONCLUSION: This film can therefore be helpful and used to introduce students and trainees to the DSM-5-AUD criteria. It also allows teachers to discuss with their students and trainees the options of treatment including decision to quit drinking (total abstinence) and the recovery and relapse of this chronic condition.

Substance use and misuse in Brazilian movies (2000-2008).

Considering the absence of data on the appearance of drugs other than alcohol and tobacco in movie scenes, we decided to study the prevalence of portrayal of illicit drug use in a convenience sample of 50 Brazilian Movies. A total of 192 scenes (12h49'03(″)) meeting the inclusion criteria were identified and assessed in a structured manner. Despite several limitations regarding the nature of this comparison, we found that scenes show substance use and misuse almost similar to that in the general population, mainly alcohol (especially among people of low socioeconomic status), cannabis and inhalants. Main differences were found in cocaine and tranquilizers (over- and underexposure in movies, respectively).

Profile of Brazilian Undergraduates Who Use Electronic Cigarettes: a Cross-Sectional Study on Forbidden Use.

The use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) persists in Brazil, despite restrictions on sales, imports, and advertising. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of e-cigarette use and user profiles among university students. This cross-sectional study used a convenience sample of 3083 university students (female = 2253, male = 830; M=26.1; SD =8.43) who completed an online survey. We employed logistic regression models and network analysis to determine the profile of e-cigarette users. The prevalence of e-cigarette use in the past year was 12.2% (n =377). Men, single individuals, Caucasians, secular individuals, and non-heterosexual individuals were more likely to engage in e-cigarette use. Intense use of alcohol, tobacco products, and illicit drugs increased the likelihood of e-cigarette use. Brazilian college students continue to use electronic cigarettes despite the prohibition. The pattern of alcohol abuse and tobacco product use among e-cigarette users is concerning. These risky behaviors render young and highly educated individuals targets for public policies to control and regulate electronic cigarettes in the country.

Sex differences in smoking cessation: a retrospective cohort study in a psychosocial care unit in Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the results of epidemiological and psychometric studies reporting comparable levels of tobacco dependence among males and females, some clinical studies have detected disparities. Some smoking cessation studies based on clinical setting programs reported poorer outcomes among women than men. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study aimed to compare treatment success and retention between men and women on a smoking cessation program (n = 1,014) delivered at a CAPS-AD unit in Brazil. The psychological intervention lasted 6 weeks for each group of 15 patients. Each patient had to participate in weekly group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions and individual medical appointments during this period. These appointments were focused on the possibility of prescribing pharmacological treatment (i.e., nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion, or nortriptyline) as adjuvants to group therapy. RESULTS: The women had lower smoking severity at baseline, more clinical symptoms, and lower prevalence of alcohol and drug use disorders and were older than the men. Females had significantly higher levels of success (36.6% vs. 29.7%) and retention (51.6% vs. 41.4%) than males. Sensitivity analysis showed that female gender was significantly associated with both retention and success, among those without drug use disorders only. CONCLUSION: Depending on the smoking cessation setting (i.e., low and middle-income countries and mental health and addiction care units), females can achieve similar and even higher quit rates than males. Previous drug use disorder was an important confounding variable in the gender outcomes analyses. Future studies should try to replicate these positive smoking cessation effects of CBT-based group therapy plus pharmacotherapy in women.

Pharmacological Treatment of Alcohol Cravings.

(1) Background: The treatment of substance addiction is challenging and has persisted for decades, with only a few therapeutic options. Although there are some recommendations for specific treatments for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), there is no specific medication used to treat alcohol cravings, which could benefit millions of patients that are suffering from alcoholism. Cravings, or the urge to use drugs, refer to the desire to experience the effects of a previously experienced psychoactive substance. (2) Methods: We included original studies of alcohol abuse or dependence extracted from a controlled, blind, pharmacological treatment study which presented measures and outcomes related to alcohol cravings. (3) Results: Specific drugs used for the treatment of alcoholism, such as Naltrexone and Acamprosate, have had the best results in relieving craving symptoms, as well as promoting abstinence. Baclofen and anticonvulsants such as Gabapentin and Topiramate have shown good results in promoting abstinence and the cessation of cravings. (4) Conclusions: Specific drugs used for the treatment of alcoholism to obtain the best results can be considered the gold standard for promoting abstinence and relieving cravings. Anticonvulsants and Baclofen also had good results, with these medications being considered as second-line ones. Varenicline is an option for alcohol dependents who also concomitantly ingest tobacco.