Human Laboratory Models of Cannabis Use Disorder

Abstract

This chapter describes the use of human laboratory procedures to characterize key behavioral features of cannabis use disorder (CUD). First, we provide a brief overview of recent shifts in cannabis policy in the United States and how these policy changes may affect CUD prevalence. This overview is followed by sections describing the scientific rationale, and methodologies used, for studying discrete behavioral features of CUD (intoxication, positive reinforcing effects, tolerance, withdrawal, abstinence initiation, and relapse) under carefully controlled human laboratory conditions. The methodological primer is followed by sections that summarize studies that have used human laboratory models to examine various classes of medications as potential treatments for CUD. We then conclude with a discussion that synthesizes the results of these studies into the broader CUD treatment development literature, examining potential ways in which human laboratory and clinical trial research methodologies could be further refined.