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A Practitioner's Guide to Cannabis. Edition No. 1

  • Book

  • 288 Pages
  • April 2023
  • John Wiley and Sons Ltd
  • ID: 5840555

Inform and improve your practice with this comprehensive resource on cannabis use and abuse

A Practitioner's Guide to Cannabis expertly cuts through the political and cultural noise surrounding cannabis use and provides a relevant, timely, and agnostic analysis of cannabis use and abuse.

Incisive and insightful, this book assists behavioral health practitioners to increase their skills in screening, assessment, and intervention while helping them to adopt evidence-based practices. Health care providers will come to rely on this comprehensive resource to understand the risks of cannabis use and to provide a set of intervention strategies effective in a variety of settings.

The book covers topics crucial for understanding the work of behavioral health and health practitioners dealing with cannabis issues, including:

  • the complexities of cannabis science
  • our cultural interpretations of the use of cannabis
  • the risks involved with cannabis use
  • effective interventions
  • patients' expressions of their own "biopsychosocial" experience

The book is perfect for social workers, psychologists, professional counselors, alcohol/drug counselors, and providers of health care, including physicians, nurses, and physician's assistants.

Table of Contents

Contents

1 Introduction 1

2 What is Cannabis? 5

The Geographical and Historical Origins of Cannabis 6

History of the Medicinal Use of Cannabis 7

Recent US History of Cannabis Use 9

Factors Influencing Cannabis Legalization in the United States 10

3 The Chemistry of Cannabis 13

Psychoactive Chemicals in Cannabis 13

Synthetic Cannabinoids 15

Cannabinoids and the Human Body 17

The Changing Chemistry of Cannabis and Synthetics 19

4 Cannabis Use in the United States 20

Potential Effects of Legalization of Cannabis in the United States 20

Risks and CUD 22

Risks Pertaining to Cannabis Delivery Methods and Potency 24

5 Cannabis, its Recreational Use, and its Effects 27

Recreational Use of Cannabis 29

Pregnancy 31

Highway Safety 33

Cognitive Impairment 33

6 Cannabis as Medicine and the User’s Experience 35

Multiple Sclerosis 36

Chronic Pain 36

Epilepsy 38

Cancer 38

Psychiatric Conditions 39

Medical Cannabis Patients Describe Their Experiences 39

Positive Experiences 40

Negative Experiences 41

Recommendations 41

Summary 41

7 A New Approach to Cannabis Screening 42

Universal Screening for Substance Use Disorders 42

Rationale for a Cannabis Screener 43

Cannabis Intervention Screener 44

Development of the CIS 45

Summary of CIS Evaluation Findings 46

Cannabis Use Vs. Misuse Vs. Abuse 48

Implications from CIS Study Findings 51

Orientation to Clinical Interventions Addressing Cannabis Use Disorder 53

Motivational Interviewing and Motivational Enhancement Therapy 53

Brief MI Interaction for Cannabis Misuse 54

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 55

Intrapersonal Skills Training 57

CBT Introduction 58

The Structure of a Session Delivery: “Law of Thirds” 59

Session 1. Eliciting the Life Movie 64

Clinician Preparation 65

Session 1 Outline and Overview 66

Session 1 Protocol with Scripts 68

Session 1. Eliciting Life Movie and Change Plan Handouts 78

Treatment Information Sheet 79

Eliciting the Life Movie: MI Conversation 81

A Change Plan - Optional 84

Learning New Coping Strategies (Handout) 85

Session 2. Enhancing Awareness 89

Clinician Preparation 90

Session 2 Outline and Overview 91

Session 2 Protocol with Scripts 94

Session 2. Enhancing Situational Awareness Handouts 102

Review of Progress and Between-Session Challenges 103

Alcohol/Cannabis use Awareness Record 104

Alcohol/Cannabis use Awareness Record Example 105

Planning to Feel Good (Optional) 106

Session 3. Learning Assertiveness 107

Clinician Preparation 108

Session 3 Outline and Overview 109

Session 3 Protocol with Scripts 111

Session 3. Learning Assertiveness Handouts 120

Review of Progress and Between-Session Challenges 121

Communication Styles 122

Between-Session Challenge Assertiveness 124

Session 4. Supporting Recovery through Enhanced Social Supports 126

Enhancing Social Support 128

Session 4 Outline and Overview for Enhancing Social Support 129

Session 4 Protocol with Scripts 132

Session 5. Supporting Recovery through Healthy Replacement Activities 136

Clinician Preparation 137

Session 5 Outline and Overview for Enhancing Healthy Replacement Activities 138

Session 5 Protocol with Scripts 140

Session 5. Supporting Recovery Through Healthy Replacement Activities Handouts 143

Review of Progress and Between-Session Challenges 144

Social Support 145

My Social Atom 146

Plan for Seeking Support 147

Increasing Pleasant Activities 148

Engaging in Replacement Activities 149

Session 6. Problem Solving 150

Clinician Preparation 151

Session 6 Outline and Overview 152

Session 6 Protocol with Scripts 155

Session 6. Problem Solving Handouts 163

Review of Progress and Between-Session Challenges 164

Problem Solving 165

Session 7. Handling Urges, Cravings, and Discomfort (urge Surfing) 167

Clinician Preparation 168

Session 7 Outline and Overview 169

Session 7 Protocol with Scripts 172

Session 7. Handling Urges, Cravings, and Discomfort Handouts 186

Coping with Cravings and Discomfort 187

Daily Record of Urges to Use 189

Urge Surfing 190

Session 8. Making Important Life Decisions 192

Clinician Preparation 194

Session 8 Outline and Overview 195

Session 8 Protocol 197

Session 8. Making Important Life Decisions Handouts 201

Clinician’s Quick Reference to Session 8 202

MI Skills and Strategies 204

Readiness-to-Change Ruler 205

Values Exploration 206

My Values 208

Decision-Making Guide 209

Decision-Making Guide Example 211

Thinking About My Use Option 3 213

Session 9. Enhancing Self-awareness 214

Clinician Preparation 215

Session 9 Outline and Overview 216

Session Protocol 217

Session 9. Enhancing Self-Awareness Handouts 227

Clinician’s Quick Reference to Session 9 228

Alcohol/Cannabis Use Awareness Record 229

Alcohol/Cannabis Use Awareness Record (continued) 231

Alcohol/Cannabis Use Awareness Record Example 232

Future Self Letter 233

Relaxation Practice Exercise 234

Session 10. Mindfulness, Meditation, and Stepping Back 235

Clinician Preparation 238

Session 10 Outline and Overview 239

Session Protocol 240

Session 10. Mindfulness, Meditation, and Stepping Back Handouts 246

Clinician’s Quick Reference to Session 10 247

Mindfulness Meditation Instructions 248

Meditation Exercise: On the Riverbank 249

References 250

Index 267

Authors

Win Turner Joseph Hyde