Cannabis UseNCT04989205
Community Based Cannabis Cessation Program
An observational study of Cannabis Use, run by Sorlandet Hospital HF at 3 sites in Norway.
Trial summary
The study examined a community based cannabis cessation program in Norway (CCP). The CCP uses a combination of cognitive therapy and psychoeducation and covers the normal withdrawal period for cannabis smoking cessation (up to 8 weeks), comprising ~15 individual sessions. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 16 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Cannabis Use
- What is being tested?
- Cannabis cessation Program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- How many people
- 102 participants
- Where
- 3 sitesNorway
- Study dates
- 2 Jun 2013to 31 Jan 2017
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
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 16 years and older
- All sexes
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: The target group was individuals who engaged in regular or daily cannabis use, and who were motivated to quit cannabis.
Who may be able to join
- Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) score ≥4
Who cannot join
- polydrug use where cannabis was not the predominating substance of use
- psychiatric comorbidity that was perceived as too severe to handle at the community-based centers
Trial locations and contacts
3 sites in 1 country.
Norway3 sites
Social Services, Fredrikstad Municipality
Fredrikstad
Kristiansand Municipality, Cannabis Cessation Program
Kristiansand
City Centre Outreach Service, Agency for Social and Welfare Services
Oslo
About this study
Official title: Examining a Community Based Intervention for Cannabis Smoking Cessation in Norway - an Observational Study
The study examined a community based cannabis cessation program in Norway (CCP). The CCP uses a combination of cognitive therapy and psychoeducation and covers the normal withdrawal period for cannabis smoking cessation (up to 8 weeks), comprising ~15 individual sessions. From 2005 onwards, the CCP was implemented as a low-threshold community-based program in several Norwegian municipalities, e.g., Kristiansand, Fredrikstad and Oslo. The study had an observational one-group pre- / post test design. Outcomes was changes in cannabis use, mental distress, well-being, social network and sense of coherence (SoC) measured post-intervention (T2) and at a 3 months follow-up (T3).
- Conditions
- Cannabis Use
- Being tested
- Cannabis cessation Program
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Cannabis cessation ProgramBehavioural
Lundqvist and Ericsson developed the 'Cannabis Cessation Program' (CCP, Nordic abbreviation: HAP) in Sweden in the 1990s. The method uses a combination of cognitive therapy and psychoeducation and covers the normal withdrawal period for cannabis smoking cessation (up to 8 weeks), comprising ~15 individual sessions. It describes a medical, a psychological, and a social phase, in which the participant is helped to recognize and address typical problems related to each phase, e.g., physical and psychological withdrawal problems. The overarching aim of the program is to help cannabis users to reorganize thinking patterns that developed while they were using cannabis and increase their social and psychological coping skills in relation to quitting cannabis use. The CCP manual has been translated into eight languages, e.g., Norwegian.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| HAP - group | The target group was individuals who engaged in regular or daily cannabis use, and who were motivated to quit cannabis. The formal inclusion criteria was a Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) score ≥4 and being ≥16 years old. Exclusion criteria was polydrug use where cannabis was not the predominating substance of use and psychiatric comorbidity that was perceived as too severe to handle at the community-based centers . Receives: Behavioral: Cannabis cessation Program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Cannabis use
Days with cannabis use last 30 days
Measured: Changes from baseline to post-treatment and follow-up, on average 5 months
Secondary outcomes (4)
Mental distress
The Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) 25-item version was used to measure mental distress. Each of the 25 items was scored on a 4-point scale (1-4). An average score was computed, indicating a global severity index of mental distress (GSI), where higher scores indicated greater distress. Clinical cut-off = 1.75
Measured: Changes from baseline to post-treatment and follow-up, on average 5 months
Well-being
The Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) was used to assess well-being. The scale has four visual analogue items on personal, interpersonal, social, and general well-being, and each item are scored from 0 = bad up to 10 = good. The items are then summed (range 0-40) and a score <25 indicated scores expected in a clinical population.
Measured: Changes from baseline to post-treatment and follow-up, on average 5 months
Social network
Number of current friends with and without problematic substance use
Measured: Changes from baseline to post-treatment and follow-up, on average 5 months
Sense of Coherence (SoC)
The Sense of Coherence questionnaire, 29 item version, measures the degree to which the subject feels that he or she has a sense of control over their own lives (manageability - 10 items), that life has meaning (8 items) and that their social life is understandable (comprehensibility - 11 items). Responses to items are scored on a seven-point semantic differential scale. Scores are summed (ranges from 29 - 203) and higher scores indicated a stronger SoC
Measured: Changes from baseline to post-treatment and follow-up, on average 5 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Aug 2021
- Study start2 Jun 2013
- Primary completion31 Jan 2017
- Study completion31 Jan 2017
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Cannabis UseStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 102 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Sorlandet Hospital HF
- Sponsor type
- Other government
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- John-Kåre Vederhus, PhD, Principal investigator, Addiction Unit, Sørlandet Hospital, Kristiansand
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04989205
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 005004
- Status last verified
- Jul 2021
- First submitted
- 12 Jul 2021
- Last updated
- 19 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Study protocol will be shared upon request. Anonymous data will be shared upon reasonable request
Publications
Vederhus JK, Rorendal M, Skardal M, Naess MO, Clausen T, Kristensen O. Successful outcomes with low-threshold intervention for cannabis use disorders in Norway - an observational study. PLoS One. 2022 Jun 16;17(6):e0269988. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269988. eCollection 2022.
PubMed 35709178
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 19 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Examining a Community Based Intervention for Cannabis Smoking Cessation in Norway - an Observational Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04989205
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 005004
- Conditions
- Cannabis Use
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 102 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Sorlandet Hospital HFOther government
- Study start
- 2 Jun 2013 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jan 2017 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Jan 2017 (actual)
- First posted
- 4 Aug 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The study examined a community based cannabis cessation program in Norway (CCP). The CCP uses a combination of cognitive therapy and psychoeducation and covers the normal withdrawal period for cannabis smoking cessation (up to 8 weeks), comprising ~15 individual sessions. From 2005 onwards, the CCP was implemented as a low-threshold community-based program in several Norwegian municipalities, e.g., Kristiansand, Fredrikstad and Oslo. The study had an observational one-group pre- / post test design. Outcomes was changes in cannabis use, mental distress, well-being, social network and sense of coherence (SoC) measured post-intervention (T2) and at a 3 months follow-up (T3).
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| HAP - group | – | Behavioral: Cannabis cessation ProgramThe target group was individuals who engaged in regular or daily cannabis use, and who were motivated to quit cannabis. The formal inclusion criteria was a Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) score ≥4 and being ≥16 years old. Exclusion criteria was polydrug use where cannabis was not the predominating substance of use and psychiatric comorbidity that was perceived as too severe to handle at the community-based centers . |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 16 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- The target group was individuals who engaged in regular or daily cannabis use, and who were motivated to quit cannabis.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) score ≥4
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- polydrug use where cannabis was not the predominating substance of use
- psychiatric comorbidity that was perceived as too severe to handle at the community-based centers
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Cannabis cessation ProgramLundqvist and Ericsson developed the 'Cannabis Cessation Program' (CCP, Nordic abbreviation: HAP) in Sweden in the 1990s. The method uses a combination of cognitive therapy and psychoeducation and covers the normal withdrawal period for cannabis smoking cessation (up to 8 weeks), comprising ~15 individual sessions. It describes a medical, a psychological, and a social phase, in which the participant is helped to recognize and address typical problems related to each phase, e.g., physical and psychological withdrawal problems. The overarching aim of the program is to help cannabis users to reorganize thinking patterns that developed while they were using cannabis and increase their social and psychological coping skills in relation to quitting cannabis use. The CCP manual has been translated into eight languages, e.g., Norwegian. | Behavioural | HAP - group |
Primary outcome
Cannabis use
Time frame: Changes from baseline to post-treatment and follow-up, on average 5 months
Days with cannabis use last 30 days
4 secondary outcomes
Mental distress
Time frame: Changes from baseline to post-treatment and follow-up, on average 5 months
Well-being
Time frame: Changes from baseline to post-treatment and follow-up, on average 5 months
Social network
Time frame: Changes from baseline to post-treatment and follow-up, on average 5 months
Sense of Coherence (SoC)
Time frame: Changes from baseline to post-treatment and follow-up, on average 5 months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 19 Feb 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 35709178Vederhus JK, Rorendal M, Skardal M, Naess MO, Clausen T, Kristensen O. Successful outcomes with low-threshold intervention for cannabis use disorders in Norway - an observational study. PLoS One. 2022 Jun 16;17(6):e0269988. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269988. eCollection 2022.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Study protocol will be shared upon request. Anonymous data will be shared upon reasonable request
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
John-Kåre Vederhus, PhD principal investigator
Addiction Unit, Sørlandet Hospital, Kristiansand
3 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Cannabis Use, run by Sorlandet Hospital HF at 3 sites in Norway.
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 1 inclusion and 2 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 19 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 3 sites in Norway. 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. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
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?
Cannabis use (time frame: Changes from baseline to post-treatment and follow-up, on average 5 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04989205, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 19 Feb 2026.