Alcohol Use Disorder and Cannabidiol

Alcohol Use Disorder and Cannabis: Testing Novel Harm Reduction Strategies

This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study designed to assess the efficacy of full spectrum CBD and broad spectrum CBD, compared to a placebo control (PC), to reduce drinking in participants with alcohol use disorder. If eligible for the study, subjects will be randomized to receive one of the conditions for 12 weeks.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Alcohol Use Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Cannabidiol; Drug: Placebo

Detailed Description

To better understand the effects of hemp-derived CBD with and without a small amount of THC, we propose a Phase II randomized clinical trial (RCT) to examine the safety, tolerability, and clinical effects of Full Spectrum CBD (fsCBD, contains less than 0.3% THC) vs. Broad Spectrum CBD (bsCBD, does not contain THC), vs. a matching placebo in a population of AUD subjects.

This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study designed to assess the efficacy of fsCBD and bsCBD, compared to a placebo control, to reduce drinking in participants with moderate alcohol use disorder according to the DSM-V. If eligible for the study, subjects will be randomized to receive one of the conditions for 12 weeks. The current study will test the hypothesis that a moderate dose of CBD leads to a reduction in alcohol consumption, alcohol craving, peripheral markers of inflammation, and anxiety. It is further hypothesized that CBD will lead to increased sleep duration and quality among individuals with AUD who want to quit or reduce their drinking. The study will also determine whether the small amount of THC found in full spectrum hemp-derived CBD products produces any negative effects.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 180
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Raeghan Mueller, PhD; Phone Number: 3037242210; Email: raeghan.mueller@cuanschutz.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Colorado
    • Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045
      • Recruiting
      • University of Colorado Anschutz
      • Contact: Raeghan Mueller, PhD; Email: raeghan.mueller@cuanschutz.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Must be ≥21 years old.
2. Meets Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-V) criteria for current Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) of at least moderate severity (i.e., 4 or more DSM-V symptoms).
3. Expresses desire to reduce or quit drinking.
4. If male, reports drinking, on average, at least 15 standard alcoholic drinks per week prior to screening; if female, reports drinking, on average, at least 10 standard drinks per week prior to screening.
5. Able to attend in-person visits at the study site.
6. Participants reporting current nicotine use in any form will be included.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Self-reported DSM-V diagnosis of any other substance use disorder.
2. Self-report illicit/recreational use of cocaine, methamphetamines, amphetamines, MDMA, opioids, or benzodiazepines in the last 30 days.
3. Daily cannabis use.
4. Uses CBD products for medical reasons.
5. Self-reports or indicates having a serious DSM-V psychiatric disorder, including panic disorder, obsessive/compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, cluster B personality disorders (borderline, antisocial, histrionic, narcissistic), eating disorders, or any other psychotic mental disorder.
6. Endorsing item 2 on the C-SSRS measure of suicide risk.

7. Currently taking any of the following medications:

   1. Those known to have a major interaction with Epidiolex.
   2. Acute treatment with any antiepileptic medications.
   3. Medication known to affect alcohol intake (e.g., disulfiram, naltrexone, acamprosate, and/or topiramate).
8. Self-reported history of severe alcohol withdrawal (e.g., seizure, delirium tremens).
9. Clinically significant medical problems in the last six months, such as cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, or endocrine problems, that would impair participation or limit medication ingestion.
10. Current or past alcohol-related medical illness, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, pancreatitis, hepatocellular disease, or peptic ulcer.
11. Females of childbearing potential who are pregnant, nursing, or who are not using a reliable form of birth control.
12. Current charges pending for a violent crime (not including DUI-related offenses).
13. Lack of a stable living situation.
14. Lack of access to internet.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Full-Spectrum Cannabidiol; 210mg/day of full-spectrum cannabidiol, containing less than 0.3% THC.	Drug: Cannabidiol; The current study will directly test the hypothesis that a moderate dose of CBD leads to a reduction in alcohol consumption, alcohol craving, peripheral markers of inflammation, and anxiety.
Active Comparator: Broad-Spectrum Cannabidiol; 210mg/day of full-spectrum cannabidiol, containing 0.0% THC.	Drug: Cannabidiol; The current study will directly test the hypothesis that a moderate dose of CBD leads to a reduction in alcohol consumption, alcohol craving, peripheral markers of inflammation, and anxiety.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; 210mg/day of hemp seed oil with no cannabinoids present.	Drug: Placebo; Placebo arm.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Drinks per Drinking Day	The Time Line Follow Back is a calendar-assisted measure that can be used to assess alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other substance use. The investigators will use this measure to create the Drinks per Drinking Day variable.	0-12 weeks
Change in Alcohol Use Disorder	The AUDIT consists of ten questions that cover such domains as alcohol consumption, drinking behavior, adverse psychological reactions, and alcohol-related problems.	0-12 weeks
Change in Alcohol Craving	The Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS) will be used to assess changes in alcohol craving.	0-12 Weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Cue-reactivity	Cue-elicited urge to drink will be assessed using the cue-reactivity assessment, per protocol (Hutchison, 2006).	0-12 weeks
Change in Anxiety	The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale is a 21-item self-report instrument for measuring the three related negative emotional states of depression, anxiety, and tension/stress. Participants rate their anxiety on a scale from 1 (Did not apply to me at all) to 4 (Applied to me very much/most of the time), with higher scores indicating worse outcomes.	0-12 weeks
Change in Pain Levels	The PROMIS Numeric Rating Scale v1.0 - Pain Intensity - 1a consists of a single item rating pain on average over the past 7 days from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain you can think of). Participants are also asked to rate the impact of their pain in the last 7 days. The PROMIS Short Form v1.1 - Pain Interference - 6b rates pain on a scale from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much), as it refers to the degree to which pain limits or interferes with subjects' physical, mental, and social activities.	0-12 weeks
Change in Sleep Disturbance	The PROMIS Short Form v.1.0 - Sleep Disturbance - 4a will be used to measure self-reported perceptions of sleep quality, depth, and restoration within the past seven days. This includes perceived difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep, as well as sleep satisfaction.	0-12 weeks
Change in Impaired Control Scale (ICS)	The Impaired Control Scale will assess impulsivity, awareness of compulsion to drink, and control over drinking behavior.	0-12 Weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Colorado, Denver
• Collaborators: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Kent Hutchison, PhD, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 30, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 28, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 4, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): November 14, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 1, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 27, 2024
• Last Verified: September 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: alcohol; cannabis; cannabidiol; cbd
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Drinking Behavior; Alcohol-Related Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholism; Anticonvulsants; Cannabidiol
• Other Study ID Numbers: 22-1894; R01AA029606 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified IPD will be made available on the NIMH Data Archive.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: The data will be submitted twice yearly with the first submission to occur in April 2023. The data will be available on the NIMH Data Archive indefinitely.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No