Fluoxetine trial for the cannabis-related symptoms of comorbid adolescents

We conducted a first open-label acute phase and long-term (5-year) follow-up study of fluoxetine in 13 adolescents with comorbid major depression and an alcohol use disorder, twelve of whom also had a lifetime history of having used cannabis. Cannabis-related symptoms were assessed using the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for cannabis dependence. During the acute phase study, the number of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for cannabis dependence significantly decreased among the ten subjects who exhibited any of those cannabis dependence symptoms at baseline. In addition, the number of subjects who met full DSM-IV diagnostic criteria (at least three criteria items) for cannabis dependence decreased from five to zero, which was a significant decrease. The medication was very well tolerated during the treatment trial. No subjects demonstrated current cannabis dependence at the 5-year follow-up evaluation. Based on the promising findings of this pilot study, the authors of this study were recently funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to conduct a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of fluoxetine in adolescent patients with major depression and a comorbid cannabis use disorder (R01 DA019142). However, the results of that double-blind placebo-controlled study will not be known for five years.