Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addictions, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 2400, 515 West Hastings St,, Vancouver, BC, V6B 5K3, Canada. bfischer@sfu.ca
One in three young people use cannabis in Canada. Cannabis use can be associated with a variety of health problems which occur primarily among intensive/frequent users. Availability and effectiveness of conventional treatment for cannabis use is limited. While Brief Interventions (BIs) have been shown to result in short-term reductions of cannabis use risks or problems, few studies have assessed their longer-term effects. The present study examined 12-month follow-up outcomes for BIs in a cohort of young Canadian high-frequency cannabis users where select short-term effects (3 months) had previously been assessed and demonstrated.
N=134 frequent cannabis users were recruited from among university students in Toronto, randomized to either an oral or a written cannabis BI, or corresponding health controls, and assessed in-person at baseline, 3-months, and 12-months. N=72 (54%) of the original sample were retained for follow-up analyses at 12-months where reductions in 'deep inhalation/breathholding' (Q=13.1; p