A Culturally Tailored Phone App for Cannabis Use Disorder in Black Adults: Proof-of-Concept Trial

Proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial. 50 Black adults with CUD (50% female, mean age 42.9). Randomized to CT-MICART app + EMAs or EMAs-only for 6 weeks. Feasibility: enrollment, retention, EMA completion. Utilization: app feature engagement. Acceptability: self-reported satisfaction. Preliminary efficacy: cannabis use outcomes.

Cannabis use disorder treatment research has predominantly studied White populations, and treatment access for Black adults is limited by structural barriers. Mobile interventions can bypass many access barriers (transportation, stigma, work schedules, provider availability), and cultural tailoring may improve engagement and relevance. If CT-MICART proves effective in a larger trial, it would represent a scalable, accessible intervention for an underserved population.

This study addresses the equity gap in cannabis treatment research. RTHC-00105 (12-week CBT+MET program) showed behavioral treatment works for CUD, but that was a traditional clinic-based program. This mobile approach could reach people who never walk into a clinic. The anxiety-cannabis integration connects to RTHC-00125 (psychological inflexibility as the mechanism linking CUD and mental health) — addressing the psychological drivers of cannabis use, not just the use itself.

Proof-of-concept with only 50 participants — too small for definitive efficacy conclusions. The 6-week duration may be too short to assess sustained behavior change. The EMA-only control group received some therapeutic benefit from self-monitoring, potentially reducing the between-group difference. No long-term follow-up. Participants were self-selected (motivated enough to join a study), which may not reflect the broader population of Black adults with CUD. The app content is described but specific therapeutic components aren't detailed in the abstract.