Virtual Clinic Introduces Digital Substance Use Treatment Program For Cannabis Use Disorder

Pelago, a digital clinic partner to U.S. businesses and health plans for substance use management, announced Tuesday the addition of cannabis to its specialized substance use disorder (SUD) treatments. The new program, which will be fully implemented by Q3 2024, expands the New York-headquartered digital substance use treatment solutions that currently include support for tobacco, alcohol and opioids.

"We're at an important inflection point in the U.S., with cannabis use disorders on the rise as treatment simultaneously declines," stated Pelago CEO and co-founder Yusuf Sherwani, M.D. "This marks an important addition to our dedicated substance use management offering as we work to provide employers and health plans with specialized care for cannabis use and other disorders for improved health outcomes."

The program launch follows Pelago's recent $58 million funding round and marks the first large-scale digital cannabis use treatment program in the nation.

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is a condition often described as the continued use of cannabis despite its negative impact on one’s life and health. It also causes withdrawal symptoms that come from the development of dependency, which are often compared to nicotine withdrawal. The most common cannabis withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, poor mood, agitation and sleep problems.

See Also: Study Reveals Groundbreaking Treatment For Cannabis Use Disorder With A New Class Of Medication

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 18 million U.S. adults suffer from CUD. That translates into more than 8 million in the workforce with CUD. And yet, in states with legalized cannabis (medical + recreational), only 1.8% of those who needed treatment received specialized CUD care, down nearly 30% from the prior 10 years.

About The Program

Pelago's new program is aimed at addressing this widening gap by educating and taking an informed use approach to cannabis while offering access to specialized, evidence-based care for individuals struggling with CUD.

"Cannabis use disorder is such a challenging but important problem to address using a clinically sound and scientifically informed approach," Pelago chief scientific officer Suzette Glasner, Ph.D. said in a statement. "People use cannabis for a variety of reasons, including perceived health benefits and for recreation. We want to be able to help them understand how it's affecting their health and raise their awareness of their relationship with cannabis, including signs of loss of control, which is the hallmark of a substance use disorder. By empowering individuals who use cannabis with this knowledge, we will help reduce the harms associated with cannabis use disorder and improve overall wellness."

Clinical trials conducted over the last 30 years support three primary approaches to treating CUD:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy;
• Motivational enhancement therapy/interviewing, and 
• Contingency management.

Pelago's cannabis program is leveraging the first two approaches at launch, along with other key program elements, including physician-led care, personalized CBT, and complex condition management, and will evolve its contingency management program to include cannabis later in 2024.

See Also: How Do You Know If You Have Cannabis Use Disorder If You Use It For Therapeutic Purposes?

Photo: Courtesy of Yeexin Richelle via Shutterstock