Animal Models of Cannabis Use Disorder

Abstract

Cannabis use has the potential to produce adverse physical and mental health effects and can result in cannabis use disorder (CUD). People affected by CUD have difficulty discontinuing cannabis use, and there are currently no approved medications for the treatment of CUD. Preclinical research in animals has been invaluable in uncovering neurobiological underpinnings of many neuropsychiatric disorders, as well as for the development of safe and effective medications. There are animal models available that can capture various aspects of cannabis abuse and detect signals that inform further development of CUD treatments. This chapter describes animal models available for the assessment of rewarding, relapse-inducing, subjective, and other abuse-related effects of cannabinoids and some of the findings obtained with these models.