A Brief Mindfulness Program Did Not Help People With Cannabis Use Disorder Reduce Their Use | Research

The takeaway

A randomized trial of 66 adults with cannabis use disorder found that a brief mindfulness-based intervention did not reduce cannabis frequency, quantity, or cravings compared to relaxation or control conditions.

People with cannabis use disorder seeking treatment options and clinicians treating CUD.

No significant effects on cannabis frequency, quantity, or cravings across all three conditions

What the researchers found

There were no significant intervention-by-time effects on the primary outcome of cannabis use frequency, nor on secondary outcomes including quantity, cravings, relaxation, or mindfulness scores. The null findings held across all three conditions (mindfulness, relaxation, control) over the approximately 16-day intervention period.

Why it matters

Brief, scalable interventions for cannabis use disorder are urgently needed. This well-designed trial shows that a short mindfulness program alone is not sufficient, suggesting more intensive or differently designed interventions may be necessary.

The numbers in context

66 participants (19 female), ages 18-56. Three groups: MBI (23), relaxation (21), control (22). Mean intervention duration: 16 days. Primary outcome (cannabis frequency): F=0.26, FDR-adjusted p=0.86 (no significant effect). No significant effects on any secondary outcome.

How the study worked

Pre-registered, double-blind RCT of 66 adults (ages 18-56) with cannabis use disorder who had attempted to cut down in the past 2 years. Participants were randomized 1:1:1 to mindfulness-based intervention (n=23), relaxation (n=21), or control (n=22). All conditions included daily monitoring. Mean intervention duration: 16 days.

What this study cannot tell us

Small sample (66). Brief intervention (~16 days) may be too short. Online delivery may reduce engagement. All conditions included daily monitoring, which itself could affect cannabis use. Recruitment during COVID-19 (2019-2022) may have influenced results.

How to read the evidence

Moderate: pre-registered, double-blind RCT with appropriate controls, though small sample and brief intervention limit conclusions.

When this study was published

2025 study (recruitment 2019-2022).

The bigger picture

While mindfulness shows promise for various substance use disorders, this study suggests that brief, self-directed mindfulness programs may not be intensive enough for cannabis use disorder. It may need to be combined with other approaches or delivered over a longer period.

Questions still open

Would a longer or more intensive mindfulness program show different results? Could mindfulness work as an adjunct to other CUD treatments? Does the daily monitoring in all groups create a "treatment effect" that masks differences?

Common questions

Does mindfulness help with cannabis use disorder?

This brief program did not. A ~16-day mindfulness intervention showed no benefit over relaxation or monitoring alone for reducing cannabis use, quantity, or cravings.

Should people with CUD still try mindfulness?

This study tested a brief, self-directed program. More intensive mindfulness-based therapies or mindfulness combined with other treatments might still be effective and have not been ruled out.

Read the original research

Brief mindfulness intervention for adults with cannabis use disorder: A randomised clinical trial.

Drug and alcohol dependence, 277, 112909

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Lorenzetti, Valentina; McTavish, Eugene; Thomson, Hannah; Clemente, Adam; Rendell, Peter; Terrett, Gill; Greenwood, Lisa-Marie; Freeman, Tom P; Kamboj, Sunjeev K; Manning, Victoria. (2025). Brief mindfulness intervention for adults with cannabis use disorder: A randomised clinical trial.. Drug and alcohol dependence, 277, 112909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112909