Sustained Abstinence Meant Achieving a Defined Three-Week Interval
The exploratory sustained-abstinence outcome asked whether participants achieved at least one twenty-one-day interval without relapse. It did not require abstinence throughout the entire twelve-week outpatient phase.
The endpoint had a specific rule
The trial defined sustained abstinence as twenty-one consecutive days without cocaine relapse and calculated the proportion of detoxification completers who achieved that interval at least once. Time to first relapse, percentage of positive urine tests and reported days of use were separate outcomes with their own definitions.
An endpoint name can hide important differences
A person can satisfy an “at least once” interval rule without remaining abstinent at every other observation. Conversely, a participant may reduce use without meeting the consecutive-day threshold. Those possibilities do not determine any individual participant’s actual trajectory; they explain what the rule can and cannot summarize.
Evaluate benefit against the correct comparator
The study did not establish a consistent CBD advantage across its clinical outcomes. The abstinence definition cannot be used to manufacture a broader success claim. Keep the denominator, interval, missing-data handling and accompanying care attached when comparing this trial with research using different abstinence definitions. A named clinical endpoint is not a universal measure of recovery.
Related analysis: the cocaine-craving and relapse findings.
Research cited
Mongeau-Pérusse and colleagues (2021). Cannabidiol as a treatment for craving and relapse in individuals with cocaine use disorder: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. DOI: 10.1111/add.15417.
