# Presentation: 128132

** **
**NIDA’s Marijuana Initiative**** **
** **
***A Progress Report from the***
*** ******National Institute on Drug Abuse***

**Nora D. Volkow, M.D.**
**Director**

##    NIDA is committed to...

** ****       ****reducing its use; and to**
**        ****disseminating new findings on**
**	****    ****its effects on the brain and body and **
**	****    ****the development of promising strategies**
**	****    ****for its prevention and treatment **
**	****to a wide variety of audiences**
**  **

**Marijuana is the Most Commonly**
**Used Illicit Drug In the U.S.**

## NIDA’s Renewed Emphasis on Supporting

**NIDA’s initiation of three new ****Requests for Applications (RFAs)**** in FY2004 to stimulate research on marijuana**

**NIDA’s Renewed Emphasis on Supporting**
**Marijuana Research is Reflected In:**

**A requirement in applications for recompetition of our ****CTN**
**sites to ****increase their focus on cannabis-related disorders**

**A ****shift in emphasis of our medications development **
**program**** to include a concentration of more efforts on identifying treatments for marijuana abuse and addiction**

**The inclusion in all existing and new NIDA ****Program**
**Announcements (PAs)**** specific requests for ****studies on **
**marijuana and/or cannabis**** when appropriate**

**Consequences**** of Marijuana on the Developing Brain ****(RFA-DA-04-016)**
**Medications Development**** for Cannabis-Related Disorders ****(RFA-DA-04-014)**
**Screening and Intervention**** for Youth in Primary Care Settings ****(RFA-DA-04-006)**

## http://www.marijuana-info.org

_**http://www.marijuana-info.org**_

**0**

**100000**

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**400000**

**500000**

**600000**

**700000**

**800000**

**900000**

**1998**

**1999**

**2000**

**2001**

**2002**

**2003**

**Web page hits in October of each year**

**Highlights of NIDA’s Recent Marijuana Dissemination Efforts**

***For the General Public***

***We Developed a ***
***Dedicated Website on Marijuana Thats***
***Usage Continues***
*** ******to Grow  ***

## Highlights of NIDA’s Recent Marijuana Dissemination Efforts

***We Recently Released Our ***
***New Website for Teens!***

**Highlights of NIDA’s Recent Marijuana Dissemination Efforts**

***For the General Public***

## NIDA

**Updated **
**March 2003**

**Publications**
**Focusing on ****            ****MARIJUANA**

***A Collection of***

**Published **
**July 2003**

***Articles That Address***

**Research **
**on Marijuana**

**NIDA**
**NOTES**

**NATIONAL INSTITUTE **
**ON DRUG ABUSE**

**Highlights of NIDA’s Recent Marijuana Dissemination Efforts**

***For the General Public***

## Highlights of NIDA’s Recent Marijuana Dissemination Efforts

***For Targeted Audiences***
**Educational System: Teachers and Students**

**Updated **
**March 2003**

## Highlights of NIDA’s Recent Marijuana Dissemination Efforts

**Highlights of NIDA’s Recent Marijuana Dissemination Efforts**

***For Targeted Audiences***
**Special Populations**

## Highlights of NIDA’s Recent Marijuana Dissemination Efforts

**Highlights of NIDA’s Recent Marijuana Dissemination Efforts**

***For Targeted Audiences***
**Community Providers**

## Highlights of NIDA’s Recent Marijuana Dissemination Efforts

**Highlights of NIDA’s Recent Marijuana Dissemination Efforts**

***For Targeted Audiences***
**Media                  **

## Selected Recent Findings 

**Selected Recent Findings **
**From NIDA’s Research Portfolio**
**on Marijuana**

## 12th Graders’ Past Year Marijuana Use vs.Perceived Risk of Occasional Marijuana Use 

**12****th**** Graders’ Past Year Marijuana Use vs.****Perceived Risk of Occasional Marijuana Use **

**0**

**10**

**20**

**30**

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**50**

**60**

**'75**

**'78**

**'81**

**'84**

**'87**

**'90**

**'93**

**'96**

**'99**

**'02**

**Past Year Use**

**Perceived Risk**

***Source: MTF Study, 2003***

***Epidemiological Research***

**Is Helping Us to Better Understand Factors**
**Contributing to Drug Use  **

## Epidemiological Research

***Epidemiological Research***

**Is Helping Us to Better Understand **
**Characteristics of Drug Users  **

***Source: Gruber, AJ et al., Psychological Medicine, 33, pp. 1415-1422, 2003.***

***Graduated ***
***College***

***  ******Household ***
*** ******Income ***
***< $30,000***

***  ******Overall ***
***Satisfaction***
***with Self ***
***& Life***

***  ******General***
***Happiness***
***Level***

**Percent**

***Subjective Ratings***

## Epidemiological Research

**The Consequences of Marijuana Use Range From **
**Physiological and Behavioral Effects to the Impact of Early Exposure on the Subsequent Use of Other Abused Drugs**

***Source: Lynskey, MT et al., JAMA, 289, pp. 427-433, 2003.***

***Epidemiological Research***

**Use**

**Abuse/Dependence**

**Drug Use Outcomes in Twin Pairs**
**Discordant for Cannabis Use Before Age 17**

**ODDS Ratio**

**Hallucinogens (Use)**
**Cannabis (Dependence)**

## Basic Research

**Cannabinoid Receptors Are Located in Many Areas**
**Throughout the Brain and Play An Important Role **
**In Regulating:**

**Brain Development**
**Memory and Cognition**
**Motivational Systems **
**   ****& Reward**
**Appetite**
**Immunological Function**
**Reproduction**
**Movement & Coordination**
**Pain Regulation **
**  ****& Analgesia**

***Basic Research***

**Notes:**
Slide 2: Brain regions and neuronal pathways
Certain parts of the brain govern specific functions. Point to sensory, motor, association and visual cortex to highlight specific functions. Point to the cerebellum for coordination and to the hippocampus for memory. Indicate that nerve cells or neurons travel from one area to another via pathways to send and integrate information. Show, for example, the reward pathway. Start at the ventral tegmental area (VTA) (in magenta), follow the neuron to the nucleus accumbens, and then on to prefrontal cortex. Explain that this pathway gets activated when a person receives positive reinforcement for certain behaviors ("reward"). Indicate that you will explain how this happens when a person takes an addictive drug.

## Basic Research

***Source: Ibrahim, M.M. et al., PNAS, 100(18), pp. 10529-10533, September 2, 2003.***

**Selective CB****2**** Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist **
**(AM1241) Dose-Dependently Inhibits **
**Sensory Hypersensitivity in Rats**

***Basic Research***

## Treatment Research

**Cannabinoid Antagonists Have Been Shown to Block**
**Major Triggers of Drug Relapse**

**Cocaine-Seeking Responses **
**(per 120 min)**

**Impact of SR141716 on Response to **
**Cocaine-Related Cues**

***Treatment Research***

***Cannabinoid Antagonist***
***Blocks Cocaine-Seeking***
***in Response to ***
***Cocaine-Related Cues in a Dose-Dependent Manner***

***Source: De Vries, T.J., & Shaham, Y. et al., Nature Medicine,7(10), 2002.***

## Treatment Research:

***Treatment Research:***
***Future Plans***

**NIDA is Currently Concentrating**
**Efforts to Promote Research on the**
**Development of Therapeutics**
**for Marijuana Abuse**
**For FY04 and FY05**

**Notes:**
Longer term data for 12th graders have suggested that there is a leading-trailing relationship with increases in perceived risk tending to occur before declines in rates of use.   Between 2002 and 2003 seniors’ perceived risk of occasional marijuana use increased significantly.  Use was down but not significantly so.