Could Virtual Reality Help Fight Cannabis Use Disorder?
Cannabis isn’t the most addictive substance on earth—some argue whether it’s technically addictive at all—but it’s nevertheless true that people sometimes have difficulty reducing or stopping their consumption. Some studies suggest that a small portion of people are prone to what researchers call “cannabis use disorder,” which can interfere with daily life. Now, psychologists seeking to treat the disorder are exploring a new weapon in the fight: virtual reality.
A team led by Melissa Norberg, a psychology professor at Sydney’s Macquarie University, this month published a systematic review of cannabis cue-reactivity studies in the journal Addiction. Cues are the objects or actions that can trigger strong cravings in dependent drug users. Cue-reactivity is the combination of our responses to cues, related attentional biases, and craving.
“Our systematic review showed that individuals who regularly smoke cannabis pay a lot of attention to cues associated with use,” Norberg said. And virtual reality could...
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