Background:
One in three young people use cannabis in Canada. Cannabis use can be associated with avariety of health problems which occur primarily among intensive/frequent users.Availability and effectiveness of conventional treatment for cannabis use is limited. WhileBrief Interventions (BIs) have been shown to result in short-term reductions of cannabis userisks or problems, few studies have assessed their longer-term effects. The present studyexamined 12-month follow-up outcomes for BIs in a cohort of young Canadian highfrequencycannabis users where select short-term effects (3 months) had previously beenassessed and demonstrated.FindingsN = 134 frequent cannabis users were recruited from among university students in Toronto,randomized to either an oral or a written cannabis BI, or corresponding health controls, andassessed in-person at baseline, 3-months, and 12-months. N = 72 (54 %) of the originalsample were retained for follow-up analyses at 12-months where reductions in ‘deepinhalation/breathholding’ (Q = 13.1; p < .05) and ‘driving after cannabis use’ (Q = 9.3; p <.05) were observed in the experimental groups. Reductions for these indicators had beenshown at 3-months in the experimental groups; these reductions were maintained over theyear. Other indicators assessed remained overall stable in both experimental and controlgroups.
Conclusions:
The results confirm findings from select other studies indicating the potential for longer-termand sustained risk reduction effects of BIs for cannabis use. While further research is neededon the long-term effects of BIs, these may be a valuable – and efficient – intervention tool ina public health approach to high-risk cannabis use.