Warrior CARE: Cannabis Behavioral Health

Summary

This study is a randomized, controlled clinical trial to examine the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for treating veterans with PTSD and suicidal ideation.

Timeline

Start

2025-09-22

Primary completion

2030-12-31

Completion

2030-12-31

Publications

• Background Tashkin DP, Roth MD. Pulmonary effects of inhaled cannabis smoke. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2019;45(6):596-609. doi: 10.1080/00952990.2019.1627366. Epub 2019 Jul 12.
• Background Huang YH, Zhang ZF, Tashkin DP, Feng B, Straif K, Hashibe M. An epidemiologic review of marijuana and cancer: an update. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2015 Jan;24(1):15-31. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-1026.
• Background Taylor DR, Fergusson DM, Milne BJ, Horwood LJ, Moffitt TE, Sears MR, Poulton R. A longitudinal study of the effects of tobacco and cannabis exposure on lung function in young adults. Addiction. 2002 Aug;97(8):1055-61. doi: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00169.x.
• Background Tashkin DP, Simmons MS, Sherrill DL, Coulson AH. Heavy habitual marijuana smoking does not cause an accelerated decline in FEV1 with age. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1997 Jan;155(1):141-8. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.155.1.9001303.
• Background Posner K, Oquendo MA, Gould M, Stanley B, Davies M. Columbia Classification Algorithm of Suicide Assessment (C-CASA): classification of suicidal events in the FDA's pediatric suicidal risk analysis of antidepressants. Am J Psychiatry. 2007 Jul;164(7):1035-43. doi: 10.1176/ajp.2007.164.7.1035.
• Background Baldwin GC, Tashkin DP, Buckley DM, Park AN, Dubinett SM, Roth MD. Marijuana and cocaine impair alveolar macrophage function and cytokine production. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1997 Nov;156(5):1606-13. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.156.5.9704146.
• Background Tetrault JM, Crothers K, Moore BA, Mehra R, Concato J, Fiellin DA. Effects of marijuana smoking on pulmonary function and respiratory complications: a systematic review. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Feb 12;167(3):221-8. doi: 10.1001/archinte.167.3.221.
• Background Tashkin DP, Fligiel S, Wu TC, Gong H Jr, Barbers RG, Coulson AH, Simmons MS, Beals TF. Effects of habitual use of marijuana and/or cocaine on the lung. NIDA Res Monogr. 1990;99:63-87. No abstract available.
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• Background Budney AJ, Novy PL, Hughes JR. Marijuana withdrawal among adults seeking treatment for marijuana dependence. Addiction. 1999 Sep;94(9):1311-22. doi: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.1999.94913114.x.
• Background Heishman SJ, Evans RJ, Singleton EG, Levin KH, Copersino ML, Gorelick DA. Reliability and validity of a short form of the Marijuana Craving Questionnaire. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2009 Jun 1;102(1-3):35-40. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2008.12.010. Epub 2009 Feb 13.
• Background Woskie SR, Bello A, Rennix C, Jiang L, Trivedi AN, Savitz DA. Burn Pit Exposure Assessment to Support a Cohort Study of US Veterans of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. J Occup Environ Med. 2023 Jun 1;65(6):449-457. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002788. Epub 2023 Jan 11.
• Background Steele L. Prevalence and patterns of Gulf War illness in Kansas veterans: association of symptoms with characteristics of person, place, and time of military service. Am J Epidemiol. 2000 Nov 15;152(10):992-1002. doi: 10.1093/aje/152.10.992.
• Background Knopf, Alison. (2021). NIDA sets 5 mg of THC as standard cannabis unit for research. Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly. 33. 6-7. 10.1002/adaw.33068.
• Background Lake S, Kerr T, Buxton J, Walsh Z, Marshall BD, Wood E, Milloy MJ. Does cannabis use modify the effect of post-traumatic stress disorder on severe depression and suicidal ideation? Evidence from a population-based cross-sectional study of Canadians. J Psychopharmacol. 2020 Feb;34(2):181-188. doi: 10.1177/0269881119882806. Epub 2019 Nov 5.
• Background Kimbrel NA, Newins AR, Dedert EA, Van Voorhees EE, Elbogen EB, Naylor JC, Ryan Wagner H, Brancu M; VA Mid-Atlantic MIRECC Workgroup; Beckham JC, Calhoun PS. Cannabis use disorder and suicide attempts in Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans. J Psychiatr Res. 2017 Jun;89:1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.01.002. Epub 2017 Jan 5.
• Background Americ, I.a.A.V.o. 2019 Member Survey. Perceptions and views of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans on the challenges and successes of the next greatest generation of veterans. . 2019; Available from: https://iava.org/iavas-2019-member-survey-results/.
• Background Olenick M, Flowers M, Diaz VJ. US veterans and their unique issues: enhancing health care professional awareness. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2015 Dec 1;6:635-9. doi: 10.2147/AMEP.S89479. eCollection 2015.
• Background Boden MT, Babson KA, Vujanovic AA, Short NA, Bonn-Miller MO. Posttraumatic stress disorder and cannabis use characteristics among military veterans with cannabis dependence. Am J Addict. 2013 May-Jun;22(3):277-84. doi: 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2012.12018.x.
• Background Adkisson K, Cunningham KC, Dedert EA, Dennis MF, Calhoun PS, Elbogen EB, Beckham JC, Kimbrel NA. Cannabis Use Disorder and Post-Deployment Suicide Attempts in Iraq/Afghanistan-Era Veterans. Arch Suicide Res. 2019 Oct-Dec;23(4):678-687. doi: 10.1080/13811118.2018.1488638. Epub 2018 Nov 17.
• Background Hill MN, Bierer LM, Makotkine I, Golier JA, Galea S, McEwen BS, Hillard CJ, Yehuda R. Reductions in circulating endocannabinoid levels in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder following exposure to the World Trade Center attacks. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2013 Dec;38(12):2952-61. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.08.004. Epub 2013 Sep 10.
• Background Hill MN, Miller GE, Ho WS, Gorzalka BB, Hillard CJ. Serum endocannabinoid content is altered in females with depressive disorders: a preliminary report. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2008 Mar;41(2):48-53. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-993211.
• Background deRoon-Cassini TA, Stollenwerk TM, Beatka M, Hillard CJ. Meet Your Stress Management Professionals: The Endocannabinoids. Trends Mol Med. 2020 Oct;26(10):953-968. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.07.002. Epub 2020 Aug 28.
• Background Abizaid A, Merali Z, Anisman H. Cannabis: A potential efficacious intervention for PTSD or simply snake oil? J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2019 Mar 1;44(2):75-78. doi: 10.1503/jpn.190021. No abstract available.
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• Background Weathers, F.W., et al., The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). 2013, Washington DC: National Center for PTSD.
• Background Weathers, F.W., Litz, B.T., Keane, T.M., Palmieri, P.A., Marx, B.P., & Schnurr, P.P. (2013). The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Scale available from the National Center for PTSD at www.ptsd.va.gov.
• Background Weathers FW, Bovin MJ, Lee DJ, Sloan DM, Schnurr PP, Kaloupek DG, Keane TM, Marx BP. The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5): Development and initial psychometric evaluation in military veterans. Psychol Assess. 2018 Mar;30(3):383-395. doi: 10.1037/pas0000486. Epub 2017 May 11.
• Background Posner K, Brown GK, Stanley B, Brent DA, Yershova KV, Oquendo MA, Currier GW, Melvin GA, Greenhill L, Shen S, Mann JJ. The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale: initial validity and internal consistency findings from three multisite studies with adolescents and adults. Am J Psychiatry. 2011 Dec;168(12):1266-77. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.10111704.
• Background Osman A, Bagge CL, Gutierrez PM, Konick LC, Kopper BA, Barrios FX. The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R): validation with clinical and nonclinical samples. Assessment. 2001 Dec;8(4):443-54. doi: 10.1177/107319110100800409.
• Background Beck, A.T., Steer, R.A., & Brown, G.K. (1996). Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
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• Background Wechsler, D. (2009). Wechsler Memory Scale - 4th Edition. Pearson Assessments.
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• Background Frisch, M.B., Cornell, J., Villanueva, M. & Retzlaff, P.J. (1992). Clinical validation of the quality of life inventory: A measure of life satisfaction for treatment planning and outcome assessment. Psychological Assessment, 4, 92-101.
• Background Cleeland CS, Ryan KM. Pain assessment: global use of the Brief Pain Inventory. Ann Acad Med Singap. 1994 Mar;23(2):129-38.
• Background Johns MW. A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: the Epworth sleepiness scale. Sleep. 1991 Dec;14(6):540-5. doi: 10.1093/sleep/14.6.540.
• Background Marczylo TH, Lam PM, Nallendran V, Taylor AH, Konje JC. A solid-phase method for the extraction and measurement of anandamide from multiple human biomatrices. Anal Biochem. 2009 Jan 1;384(1):106-13. doi: 10.1016/j.ab.2008.08.040. Epub 2008 Sep 18.
• Background Haney M, Ward AS, Comer SD, Foltin RW, Fischman MW. Abstinence symptoms following smoked marijuana in humans. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1999 Feb;141(4):395-404. doi: 10.1007/s002130050849.
• Background Haney M, Hart CL, Ward AS, Foltin RW. Nefazodone decreases anxiety during marijuana withdrawal in humans. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2003 Jan;165(2):157-65. doi: 10.1007/s00213-002-1210-3. Epub 2002 Nov 19.
• Background Bilgin M, Bindila L, Graessler J, Shevchenko A. Quantitative profiling of endocannabinoids in lipoproteins by LC-MS/MS. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2015 Jul;407(17):5125-31. doi: 10.1007/s00216-015-8559-8. Epub 2015 Mar 18.
• Background Gachet MS, Rhyn P, Bosch OG, Quednow BB, Gertsch J. A quantitiative LC-MS/MS method for the measurement of arachidonic acid, prostanoids, endocannabinoids, N-acylethanolamines and steroids in human plasma. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2015 Jan 22;976-977:6-18. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2014.11.001. Epub 2014 Nov 18.
• Background Marczylo TH, Lam PM, Amoako AA, Konje JC. Anandamide levels in human female reproductive tissues: solid-phase extraction and measurement by ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Anal Biochem. 2010 May 15;400(2):155-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ab.2009.12.025. Epub 2009 Dec 22.
• Background Watkins BA, Kim J, Kenny A, Pedersen TL, Pappan KL, Newman JW. Circulating levels of endocannabinoids and oxylipins altered by dietary lipids in older women are likely associated with previously identified gene targets. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2016 Nov;1861(11):1693-1704. doi: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2016.07.007. Epub 2016 Jul 22.
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Drugs

Indications