Digital addiction provider Pelago has announced a new program aimed at treating cannabis use disorder (CUD).
This comes as rates of cannabis use disorder are on the rise in the U.S. According to the CDC, 3 in 10 people who have used marijuana have a CUD.
“With more states legalizing or decriminalizing cannabis and approving medical marijuana, the number of adults and adolescents with CUD is increasing, while those getting treatment for CUD is on the decline,” Dr. Yusuf Sherwani, CEO of Pelago, told Behavioral Health Business in an email. “In addition to this troubling trend, employers and health plans are dealing with the impacts of untreated CUD on their workforce and populations, facing rising costs and impacts that include: decreased productivity, increased healthcare claims, and rising workplace safety risks and accidents.”
The new program will work similarly to Pelago’s tobacco, alcohol, and opioid programs and offer cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy and contingency management.
Pelago offers the majority of its programs through employer and payer partnerships.
“People use cannabis for a variety of reasons, including perceived health benefits and for recreation,” Dr. Suzette Glasner, Pelago’s chief scientific officer, said in a statement. “We want to be able to help them understand how it’s affecting their health and raise their awareness of their relationship with cannabis, including signs of loss of control, which is the hallmark of a substance use disorder. By empowering individuals who use cannabis with this knowledge, we will help reduce the harms associated with cannabis use disorder and improve overall wellness.”
Like Pelago’s other substance use disorder (SUD) programs, this will be offered on a 100% at-risk, “which means the company gets paid only if it meets strict clinical, engagement, member satisfaction and operational performance goals,” according to Sherwani.
This comes less than a month after the company closed a $58 million Series C funding round, bringing its total fundraise to roughly $151 million.
Pelago recently launched a new contingency management program for SUD. The program is designed to incentivize positive behaviors, such as tracking substance use and scheduling an appointment with a coach or counselor.
While the CUD program is Pelago’s latest offering, the company is likely to continue expanding its treatment scope in the future.
“We’ve actually been adding substance use disorder programs since first introducing tobacco. That was followed by alcohol and then opioids,” Sherwani said. “We’ll continue to explore new treatment programs based on market demand and customer feedback.”
