Telehealth Plus Smartphone App Helped Young Adults Cut Cannabis Use by 27% | Research

The takeaway

A telehealth counseling program with smartphone-based real-time interventions showed high engagement among young adults with cannabis use problems, with participants reporting 27% fewer days of use at two-month follow-up.

Addiction treatment providers, digital health developers, and young adults seeking help with cannabis use

100% engagement rate and 27% reduction in cannabis use days

What the researchers found

All 14 participants completed both motivational therapy sessions and achieved 100% median engagement with daily smartphone surveys. By two months, 11 of 14 had started changing their cannabis use: median use days declined by 27% and average times of use per day declined by 28%. All participants rated the intervention quality as good to excellent.

Why it matters

Young adults with cannabis use problems rarely seek treatment. This fully remote intervention removes access barriers while using real-time smartphone monitoring to deliver interventions at the moment of vulnerability, a approach that fits how this generation already interacts with technology.

The numbers in context

14 enrolled. 79% used cannabis daily/near-daily. 100% reported use problems. 100% completed both therapy sessions. 100% median daily survey engagement. 27% reduction in use days at 2 months. 28% reduction in use times per day. 11 of 14 started changing use behavior.

How the study worked

Single-arm open pilot study of emerging adults (18-25) using cannabis 3+ days per week, recruited from an urban medical practice. Intervention included two telehealth Motivational Enhancement Therapy sessions followed by two weeks of smartphone-based ecological momentary intervention (4 prompted surveys per day with trigger-responsive messages).

What this study cannot tell us

Very small sample (n=14) with no control group. Open-label design means expectancy effects cannot be ruled out. Two-month follow-up is short. Self-selected participants may be more motivated than typical cannabis users. Self-reported use outcomes.

How to read the evidence

Small pilot study without a control group; promising but needs randomized controlled trial validation.

When this study was published

2024 study

The bigger picture

The combination of telehealth and ecological momentary intervention represents a scalable model for substance use treatment. Perfect engagement rates in this population, which typically has poor treatment adherence, suggest the technology-forward approach resonates with emerging adults.

Questions still open

Would a randomized controlled trial confirm these preliminary findings? Can the intervention be scaled while maintaining engagement? What is the optimal duration for the smartphone intervention component?

Common questions

Can telehealth help young adults reduce cannabis use?

This pilot study found that two telehealth therapy sessions plus smartphone-based daily check-ins led to a 27% reduction in cannabis use days among young adults, with very high engagement.

How did the smartphone component work?

Participants received four daily survey prompts asking about their context and cannabis use. When they reported personal triggers for use, pre-programmed motivational messages were delivered in real time.

Read the original research

Telehealth counseling plus mHealth intervention for cannabis use in emerging adults: Development and a remote open pilot trial.

Journal of substance use and addiction treatment, 166, 209472

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Shrier, Lydia A; McCaskill, Nicholas H; Smith, Madeline C; O'Connell, Madison M; Gluskin, Brittany S; Parker, Sarah; Everett, Veronica; Burke, Pamela J; Harris, Sion Kim. (2024). Telehealth counseling plus mHealth intervention for cannabis use in emerging adults: Development and a remote open pilot trial.. Journal of substance use and addiction treatment, 166, 209472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2024.209472