Treating Cannabis Use Disorders Through Technology-Assisted Interventions: The Telephone and Internet

Technology-assisted substance use interventions, such as, telephone counseling (referred to as low technology) and online computer-based treatments (referred to as high technology) are unique in the breadth of their accessibility, and typically lower cost. This chapter offers a review of the literature on technology-assisted cannabis-specific interventions. Findings indicate that both telephone counseling and computer-based cannabis treatments could be effective in assisting cannabis users to quit or reduce their use. Randomized controlled trials have identified computer-based cannabis interventions to compare favorably with face-to-face delivered treatments, while research on telephone interventions is just beginning. Comparisons between high and low technology-assisted cannabis interventions show that participant characteristics may have important implications for treatment preference and outcome. Suggestions for future work are discussed, highlighting the importance of large scale and longitudinal research. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.