Brief Marijuana Dependence Counseling (BMDC)

Brief Marijuana Dependence Counseling (BMDC) is a 12-week intervention designed to treat adults with a diagnosis of cannabis dependence. Using a client-centered approach, BMDC targets a reduction in the frequency of marijuana use, aiming to reduce marijuana-related problems and symptoms. BMDC is based on the research protocol used by counselors in the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment’s Marijuana Treatment Project conducted in the late 1990s.

A treatment manual provides guidelines for counselors, social workers, and psychologists in both public and private settings. BMDC is implemented as a multi-component therapy that includes elements of motivational enhancement therapy (MET), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and case management.

Program Goals:

  • BMDC is a short-term treatment to assist clients. The BMDC counselor engages the client in a treatment process that builds on the client’s motivation to change. The approach integrates several models and accompanying strategies and is flexible within the general treatment structure. The BMDC treatment approach can be tailored to specific clinical situations while retaining its specific set of therapeutic tasks. Those tasks include

    • • Encouraging therapeutic engagement
    • • Performing a thorough assessment of the client’s marijuana problem, as well as his or her strengths and resources
    • • Facilitating motivation for change
    • • Addressing psychosocial problems beyond marijuana use
    • • Building skills to establish and sustain change.

 

Target Audience:

  • Individuals with a Marijuana Dependence

 

Program Description:

  • 9 sessions, over a 12 week intervention

 

Program Delivery:

  • BMDC Counselor (experienced clinicians)

 

Costs to Implement Program:

For more information, please contact the program developer.

Online Manual is available at: https://www.integration.samhsa.gov/clinical-practice/sbirt/brief_counseling_for_marijuana_dependence.pdf

 

Contact information

Reference Material

Babor, T.F., & the Marijuana Treatment Project Research Group. (2004). Brief treatments for cannabis dependence: Finding from a randomized multisite trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72(3), 455-466.

Steinberg, K.L., Roffman, R.A., Carroll, K.M., McRee, B., Babor, T.F., Miller, M., Kadden, R., Duresky, D., and Stephens, R. (2005). Brief Counseling for Marijuana Dependence: A Manual for Treating Adults. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 05-4022. Rockville, MD: Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.