GABA Drugs for Cannabis-Use Disorders: Initial Mechanistic Studies in Humans

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States and its use is associated with rates of development of abuse and dependence, treatment admission and relapse that are comparable to other illicit drugs that are misperceived as more harmful. Currently there is no effective pharmacological treatment for cannabis-use disorders. The experiments proposed here represent the initial step of evaluating GABAergic drugs as potential pharmacotherapies by characterizing interactions between delta 9 - THC and the selective GABA reuptake inhibitor tiagabine, the GABAA positive modulator diazepam and the GABAb agonist baclofen.