New approaches to treating cannabis dependence: from neuroscience to practice

The existence of cannabis dependence has been questioned for a long time (Murray et al., 2007). This debate has partly stemmed from an outdated view on substance use disorders (SUDs; Leshner, 1997), which measured the relative harm of substances of abuse through the severity of physical dependence (tolerance and withdrawal). In 1964, the World Health Organization recognized psychological dependence as the driving force behind SUDs, rather than physical dependence (Eddy et al., 1965). However, the minimal withdrawal symptoms associated with chronic cannabis use still supported the consensus that cannabis was not addictive (Murray et al., 2007).