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Opioid-use DisorderPhase 2NCT03787628

Cannabidiol Effects on Craving and Relapse Prevention in Opioid Use Disorder

A Phase 2 study testing Cannabidiol (CBD) 600 mg in people with Opioid-use Disorder, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This research aims to determine the effects and safety of cannabidiol (CBD) (ATL5 softgel capsules) as an adjunctive therapy for patients who have Opioid Use Disorder and are taking buprenorphine + naloxone or methadone. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Opioid-use Disorder
What is being tested?
Cannabidiol (CBD) 600 mg
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
35 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
19 May 2022to 12 Mar 2024
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Ability to read and speak English and has provided written informed consent.
  • Age of 18-65 years (inclusive).
  • Meeting criteria for an OUD according to the MINI for ≥ 3 months before screening.
  • Self-report of opioid use in the 60 days before screening; verified by treatment center records.
  • On a stable dose of ≥12 mg buprenorphine, either alone, or in combination with naloxone (buprenorphine/naloxone ratio of 4/1) for at least 7 days prior to starting and for the duration of the treatment phase of the study. OR, receiving methadone maintenance therapy for at least 7 days prior to starting and for the duration of the treatment phase of the study.
  • If female, being surgically sterile or willing to use birth control (e.g., oral contraceptives, condoms, intrauterine device) or willingness to abstain from sex throughout the study.
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) between 17.5 and 35 kg/m2; total body weight > 110 lb (50 kg).
  • Currently in residential treatment at the Tarzana Treatment Center.

Who cannot join

  • History of sensitivity to a CBD product or any of the ingredients in the study drug, including glycerin or gelatin.
  • A condition that may affect drug absorption (e.g., gastrectomy).
  • Taking a medications that has clinically significant interactions with CBD or are contraindicated for the study (check with study physician).
  • Positive urine test for THC at screening.
  • Self-report of using CBD at screening.
  • PK analysis at screening showing evidence of CBD use (a signal that is ≥ three times the background noise at the corresponding CBD retention time and MS2 transition).
Show all 17Show fewer
  • Physiological dependence on alcohol or a sedative-hypnotic benzodiazepine drug.
  • Current medication-assisted treatment with naltrexone.
  • Acute opioid withdrawal symptoms, as defined by a score on the COWS > 4.
  • Clinical laboratory finding of AST or ALT > 3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) or bilirubin > 1.5 times ULN.
  • AIDS or HIV positive status (because treatment medications have potential interactions with CBD).
  • Pregnancy or lactation.
  • Clinically significant EKG abnormalities, as determined by the study physician, including the following: QTc >450 msec (men) or >470 (women) or QRS interval >120 msec (If QTc or QRS interval exceed these cutoff points, EKG will be repeated twice and the average of the three QTc values used to determine eligibility.), congenital long QT syndrome, history of prolonged QT in the 3 months before screening, corrected QT interval (Fridericia's - QTcF) >450 msec (male) or >470 msec (female) or history of risk factors for Torsades de Pointes.
  • For women: any value outside reference ranges on a hormonal battery [estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine index, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, T3 uptake, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and thyroxine], followed by an abnormal ovarian ultrasound finding.
  • Clinically significant cardiovascular, hematologic, hepatic, renal, or endocrine abnormalities, as determined by the study physician.
  • Meeting criteria on the MINI for schizophrenia, Bipolar I disorder, psychotic disorder, having active suicidal ideation, or suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Or, answers "yes" to questions 4 or 5 on C-SSRS. NOTE: Participants with other psychiatric conditions, such as major depression, generalized anxiety, dysthymia, social phobia or specific phobia may be enrolled in the study if they are clinically stable.
  • On the cue-induced opiate craving task at screening, the participant does not have a score of at least 25 (on a visual analogue scale with a maximum score of 100) for at least one image within one category. Note: Groups of images may be separated into smoking cues, pills and bottles, and injection paraphernalia. For example, for injection cues, a picture of a needle and syringe may elicit a craving response, though other images in the same group (i.e., picture of arm with vein bulging) do not elicit craving.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Tarzana Treatment Centers

    Tarzana, California, 91356

Other trials in United States

About this study

This research aims to determine the effects and safety of cannabidiol (CBD) (ATL5 softgel capsules) as an adjunctive therapy for patients who have Opioid Use Disorder and are taking buprenorphine + naloxone or methadone. Buprenorphine + naloxone and methadone is an approved treatment for Opioid Use Disorder, but relapse to opioid misuse is common among patients who receive this treatment. Finding an adjunctive treatment for these patients would be helpful.

We will recruit participants from the Tarzana Treatment Center (TTC) in the San Fernando Valley. They will be receiving buprenorphine + naloxone or methadone as part of residential therapy. Potential participants who pass initial screening and wish to continue in the study will provide written, informed consent and will complete a 2-day evaluation, including blood and urine tests, questionnaires about their mood, medical, psychiatric and drug use history and physical exam.

Read more

Up to 60 participants who meet all eligibility criteria will be invited to complete baseline assessments (blood and urine tests, questionnaires), and will be assigned randomly to receive CBD (600 mg/day) or placebo, corresponding to two groups of up to 30 participants each.

After the baseline measurements, participants will take part in a 28-day treatment phase for 4 weeks. They will take the study medication under supervision (CBD 300 mg twice daily or placebo). Questionnaires on opioid craving, withdrawal, and mood symptoms will be administered daily during the treatment period, excluding weekends. After the 28-day intervention, participants will complete the questionnaires and undergo urine drug tests in 4 weekly follow-up visits.

The study will last ~10 weeks, comprising three periods: a screening period (2-weeks when participants are stabilized on buprenorphine + naloxone or methadone in residential treatment at the Tarzana Treatment Center), a treatment period (4 weeks when study CBD or placebo is administered at Tarzana Treatment Center), and a follow-up period (4 weeks after termination of the test intervention).

Read the detailed description

This will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, study of cannabidiol (CBD) (600 mg/day) as an adjunctive therapy to buprenorphine + naloxone or methadone in patients who have Opioid Use Disorder and are receiving residential behavioral therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy. The primary endpoint will be safety and tolerability of CBD in these patients, as indicated by the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (n/% per group). Participants will be evaluated via measurement of cardiovascular parameters (heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac rhythm and conduction on EKG), other vital signs, liver enzymes, pulse oximetry, adverse events, and pharmacokinetics. Secondary measures will include cue-induced craving, reductions in spontaneous craving, opioid withdrawal, and negative affective states.

Patients will be recruited from the Tarzana Treatment Center (TTC) in the San Fernando Valley, where buprenorphine + naloxone or methadone (as part of their treatment) and CBD (as part of this protocol) will be administered. Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc. is a community-based, private non-profit behavioral healthcare organization located in Southern California with several agency sites, including the one in the San Fernando Valley, where this protocol will be conducted. TTC delivers drug and alcohol use treatment, has been accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) since 1987, and has a workforce that includes physicians, psychologists, and nurses. TTC's substance use treatment approach includes residential programs that are overseen by a Program Director and are staffed by a clinical supervisor, operations supervisor, counselors, interns, nursing staff and 24/7 technicians. Groups and services include an education group, process group, 12-step, family group, mental health services and recreation skills. Cognitive-behavioral treatment is used in both individual and group therapy to address craving and relapse issues and in the treatment of mental health problems.

Up to 75 participants who meet all eligibility criteria will be invited to complete baseline assessments (blood and urine tests, questionnaires), and will be assigned randomly to receive CBD or placebo, corresponding to two groups of up to 30 participants each. Within each group, participants will be randomized by baseline buprenorphine plasma level (either below or ≥ 2 ng/ml).

The study will comprise three periods: 1) a screening period (~7-14-days) while participants are stabilized on buprenorphine + naloxone; 2) a 4-week treatment period when study medication will be administered; and 3) a 4-week follow-up period after termination of treatment with the study medication. Cue-induced craving sessions will be conducted at three times: Day 0 (baseline), Day 7 (when a steady state of CBD should have been reached; half-life of CBD after oral administration is 18-32 h), and Day 28 (end of treatment).

Adherence to medication in the trial will be assured as the participant will take the test medication (CBD or placebo) under supervision daily. Blood samples will be collected to determine plasma concentrations of CBD, buprenorphine, and laboratory assessments of safety. Cue-induced craving and other measures of craving and affect will be collected repeatedly during the study.

Being tested
Cannabidiol (CBD) 600 mg, Placebo
Keywords
Buprenorphine, Cannabidiol, Opioid Use disorder
Medical subject headings
Opioid-Related Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Cannabidiol (CBD) 600 mgDrug

    Also called ATL5 (Ananda Scientific)

    CBD (300 mg) will be administered orally twice daily in the morning and again in the afternoon. The active ingredient in the Ananda investigational new drug, ATL5, is cannabidiol (CBD), extracted from hemp, at a 10% strength (softgel capsules with 100 mg/ml of CBD per capsule). The novel formulation is based on the principle that a water-free mixture of some concentrated inactive ingredients (excipients) self-assemble spontaneously into liquid nanodomains that contain the active component CBD. ATL5 Softgel Capsules will be manufactured by Baxco Pharmaceutical Inc. (California, USA) under cGMP conditions.

  • PlaceboDrug

    Also called Placebo for ATL5 (Ananda Ccientific)

    The placebo softgel capsule formulation will have a composition with the same relative proportions as the CBD ATL5 Softgel Capsules. This formulation will be manufactured by Baxco Pharmaceutical Inc. under cGMP conditions. The amount (number of softgel capsules) of placebo will be administered to match that of the active compound, daily in the morning and afternoon for each of 28 days.

Study groups in NCT03787628
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Cannabidiol (CBD) 600 mgActive comparatorThirty participants who meet all eligibility criteria will be randomized to receive CBD (ATL5; Ananda Scientific) at a dose of 600 mg.
Receives: Drug: Cannabidiol (CBD) 600 mg
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorThirty participants who meet all eligibility criteria will be randomized to receive placebo.
Receives: Drug: Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. The Primary Endpoint Will be Safety and Tolerability of CBD.

    Number of participants with treatment-emergent adverse events (n/% per treatment group).

    Measured: Days 1-56

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. The Extent to Which CBD Reduces Cue-induced Craving for Opioids.

    Cue-induced craving was measured at baseline, Day 7, and Day 28, when participants completed a cue-induced craving task in which they viewed pictures of neutral and opioid-related cues and rated their level of opioid craving on an abbreviated (7-item) version of the Desire for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ). The DDQ is comprised of Likert-style responses ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), with total scores on the 7-item scale ranging from 7 to 49, with higher scores reflecting higher craving. The measure of cue-induced craving was derived by subtracting DDQ scores following neutral cues from DDQ scores following opioid cues (range = -42 to 42), with higher scores reflecting greater craving following opioid cues than neutral cues.

    Measured: Before dosing on Day 0 (baseline without CBD) and on Days 7 and 28 after treatment with CBD. The group means below reflect the overall group means across time points as reported from descriptive statistics in the Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM).

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted26 Dec 2018
  2. Study start19 May 2022
  3. Primary completion12 Mar 2024
  4. Study completion12 Mar 2024

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
35 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03787628
Sponsor's protocol ID
18-001748
Other IDs
5UG3DA048388-03
Status last verified
Jul 2025
First submitted
17 Dec 2018
Last updated
22 Apr 2026
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Cannabidiol (CBD) 600 mg in people with Opioid-use Disorder, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 17 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 1 Aug 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

The Primary Endpoint Will be Safety and Tolerability of CBD. (time frame: Days 1-56). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Apr 2026.

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