Contingency Management for Cannabis Use for Persons With HIV

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and impact of 28-days of monitored abstinence from cannabis use on symptoms of depression and anxiety, pain, sleep, cannabis use withdrawal, HIV viral load and biomarkers of systemic inflammation among PLWH and who use cannabis regularly (weekly or more often). This will be a single arm pilot feasibility trial involving a contingency management program to induce cannabis abstinence. Specifically, the contingency management program will provide motivational (monetary) incentives to participants who achieve biochemically verified cannabis abstinence. Over the 28-days of this pilot feasibility trial, participants will attend seven study visits. During these visits, participants will complete survey questionnaires to assess sociodemographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors. In addition, participants will provide blood and urine specimens for testing and quantitation of HIV viral load, biomarkers of systemic inflammation and for the detection of cannabis and other drugs of abuse.

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Key information

Conditions

Marijuana Blood-Borne Infections Chemically-Induced Disorders Communicable Diseases Genital Diseases HIV Infections Immune System Diseases Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes Infections Lentivirus Infections Marijuana Abuse Mental Disorders RNA Virus Infections Retroviridae Infections Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral Substance-Related Disorders Urogenital Diseases Virus Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addiction, Houston, Texas, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

HIV-positive (confirmed via HIV medication or relevant HIV labs in subject's name)
Self-report of cannabis use at least once per week in the 6-month period prior to consent
Provide a positive urine toxicology (UTOX) screen for cannabis
Not seeking treatment for cannabis use
Willing to stop using cannabis for 28 days and attend eight study visits over six weeks.
Ability and willingness to provide inform consent
English fluency

Exclusion criteria

Currently receiving treatment for cannabis or other drug use disorder
Diagnosed or receiving treatment for a current major depressive or anxiety disorder
Diagnosed with any current alcohol or substance use disorder (excluding nicotine) using the Structured Clinical Interview for Clinical Disorders (SCID) Interview (22)
Positive UTOX screen for opioids
Having a medical, psychiatric, occupational, or other condition that, in the judgment of the study physician, would make participation difficult or unsafe.

Treatment and study plan

Contingency Management - Cannabis

Behavioral

Participants in the contingency management program will be provided financial incentives for 28-days of cannabis abstinence. At every visit, participants will provide urine samples for the biochemical verification of cannabis abstinence). Participants with evidence of cannabis abstinence will be provided a financial incentive that increases across subsequent study visits.

Primary outcomes

Sustained cannabis abstinence for 28-days

Time frame: 28-days

Cannabis abstinence will be defined as sustained reduction in quantitative levels of 11-Nor-9-carboxy-Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) for 28-days

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Other

Collaborators

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Registry information

Official study title

Feasibility and Impact of 28-days of Monitored Abstinence From Cannabis Use on Symptoms of Distress, Inflammation, and HIV Viral Load

Important dates

Study start: 2021
Primary completion: 2025
Study completion: 2025
First posted: Apr 29, 2021
Registry last updated: Sep 4, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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