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

June 2, 2026 updated by: VA Office of Research and Development
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling psychiatric disorder that affects 20%-30% of U.S. Veterans. PTSD is strongly associated with increased risk for substance abuse comorbidity, including cannabis use disorder. Multiple states now include PTSD as a condition for which patients can be legally prescribed medical marijuana, despite the fact that there has not been a single large-scale randomized clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy of cannabis to treat PTSD to date. The overall objective of the current proposal is to study the impact of reduced cannabis use on functioning among Veterans with PTSD. The investigators will evaluate the relationship between cannabis use and daily functioning among cannabis users and heavy cannabis users. The central hypothesis is that reductions in cannabis use will lead to positive changes in the functional outcomes of Veterans. The rationale for this research is that it will provide the first and only real-time data concerning the impact of reduced cannabis use on daily functioning among Veterans with PTSD.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling psychiatric disorder that affects 20%-30% of U.S. Veterans. PTSD is strongly associated with increased risk for substance abuse comorbidity, including cannabis use disorder; however, multiple states now include PTSD as a condition for which patients can be legally prescribed medical marijuana, despite the fact that there has not been a single large-scale randomized clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy of cannabis to treat PTSD to date. The overall objective of the current proposal is to prospectively study the impact of reduced cannabis use on psychosocial functioning among Veterans with PTSD. To do so, the investigators will first use ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods to evaluate the relationship between cannabis use and daily functioning among Veterans with PTSD. Next, the investigators will use mobile contingency management (CM) and EMA to assess the impact of reduced cannabis use on daily functioning among Veterans with PTSD who are heavy cannabis users. The central hypothesis is that reductions in cannabis use will lead to positive changes in the functional outcomes of Veterans. The rationale for this research is that it will provide the first and only real-time data concerning the impact of reduced cannabis use on daily functioning among Veterans with PTSD. As a result, this innovative and timely project has the potential to significantly advance VHA healthcare and will directly inform the ongoing national debate concerning the impact of cannabis use on the long-term functional recovery of Veterans with PTSD.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
65

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • North Carolina
      • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27705-3875
        • Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

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

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Contingency Management (CM)
Mobile contingency management (CM) will be used to promote reductions in cannabis use among Veterans with PTSD who are heavy cannabis users. CM is an intensive behavioral therapy in which participants are paid to reduce substance use.
Behavioral: Contingency Management (CM)
Contingency management is an intensive behavioral therapy in which participants are paid to reduce substance use.
Other Names:
  • Mobile Contingency Management (mCM)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in functional impairment as measured by the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHO-DAS)
Time Frame: Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Functional impairment will be measured by the simple score on the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHO-DAS). This measure has a scoring range of 0 to 144, with lower scores indicating lower functional impairment.
Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Change in functional impairment as measured by the Inventory of Psychosocial Functioning (IPF)
Time Frame: Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Functional impairment will be measured by the Inventory of Psychosocial Functioning (IPF). This measure has a scoring range of 0 to 480, with lower scores indicating higher functional impairment.
Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Change in psychiatric distress
Time Frame: Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Psychiatric distress will be measured by the 90-item Symptom Checklist (SCL-90). This measure has a scoring range of 0 to 360, with lower scores indicating lower distress related to mental health.
Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Change in quality of life, as measured by the WHOQOL-BREF
Time Frame: Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Quality of life will be measured with the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL-BREF). The measure has a scoring range of 0 to 100, with higher scores denoting a higher quality of life.
Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Change in quality of life, as measured by the Quality of Life Scale
Time Frame: Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Quality of life will be measured with the 16-item Quality of Life Scale. The measure has a scoring range of 6 to 112, with higher scores denoting a higher quality of life.
Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Change in number of days of drugged driving as measured by timeline follow-back
Time Frame: Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Number of days of drugged driving in the past month will be self-reported by participants using a Timeline Follow-Back Interview.
Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Change in cannabis use
Time Frame: Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)
Cannabis use, as measured in milligrams, will be measured by taking the product of number of days used and amount used per day in the previous week.
Baseline and post-treatment (approximately six weeks)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
VA Office of Research and Development

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Jean C Beckham, PhD, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 26, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 5, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 5, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 18, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 24, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 25, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 2, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • D3276-R

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

The investigators do not plan to attend individual participant data.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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Conditions

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