{"id":{"repo_id":"colostate","oai_identifier":"oai:mountainscholar.org:10217/88577"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/colostate/oai:mountainscholar.org:10217/88577","repository":{"repo_id":"colostate","name":"Colorado State University","base_url":"https://api.mountainscholar.org/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The experience of drug loss among college students in treatment for cannabis abuse","abstract":"Grief-related symptoms among people in recovery from drug abuse have been acknowledged in the substance abuse literature. However, there is no existing theory to explain the phenomenon of grief reactions to discontinued drug use. In an attempt to contribute to the developing Drug Loss Theory (Matheson, in press), this mixed methods study was designed to investigate grief-related symptoms among individuals who have discontinued the use of cannabis. Worden's Task Model of Grief and Attachment Theory were used as the theoretical frameworks to guide this in-depth study of six college students who have discontinued the use of cannabis. The conceptual focus of the study was to explore the nature of the relationship between participants and cannabis, and to understand participants' descriptions and definitions of drug loss. The researchers administered the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test (CUDIT) which revealed a moderate level of dependence among the six participants. Total scores on the Core Bereavement Items (CBI) scale ranged from 20-40 (out of a 51 points), with an average score of 31.7, indicating a medium level of bereavement. Researchers collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews in order to explore the awareness and experience of five college students with a cannabis use disorder, and one college student with a polysubstance use disorder. I discuss the themes that emerged and integrate those with the literature including attachment theory and Worden's Tasks of Grief to compare and contrast the loss experience of these cannabis users to other loss experiences such as death of a loved one.","abstract_html":"Grief-related symptoms among people in recovery from drug abuse have been acknowledged in the substance abuse literature. However, there is no existing theory to explain the phenomenon of grief reactions to discontinued drug use. In an attempt to contribute to the developing Drug Loss Theory (Matheson, in press), this mixed methods study was designed to investigate grief-related symptoms among individuals who have discontinued the use of cannabis. Worden's Task Model of Grief and Attachment Theory were used as the theoretical frameworks to guide this in-depth study of six college students who have discontinued the use of cannabis. The conceptual focus of the study was to explore the nature of the relationship between participants and cannabis, and to understand participants' descriptions and definitions of drug loss. The researchers administered the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test (CUDIT) which revealed a moderate level of dependence among the six participants. Total scores on the Core Bereavement Items (CBI) scale ranged from 20-40 (out of a 51 points), with an average score of 31.7, indicating a medium level of bereavement. Researchers collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews in order to explore the awareness and experience of five college students with a cannabis use disorder, and one college student with a polysubstance use disorder. I discuss the themes that emerged and integrate those with the literature including attachment theory and Worden's Tasks of Grief to compare and contrast the loss experience of these cannabis users to other loss experiences such as death of a loved one.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Miller, Mackenzie, author","Matheson, Jenn, advisor","Aberle, Jen, committee member","Miller, Lisa, committee member"],"institution":"Colorado State University. Libraries","degree_name":"Master of Science (M.S.)","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Human Development and Family Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014","date_published":"2014","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:13:00Z","subjects":["drug Loss","cannabis","grief and loss","marijuana","substance abuse treatment"],"languages":["eng","English"],"rights":["Copyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://doi.org/10.25675/3.018454"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://doi.org/10.25675/3.018454","href":"https://doi.org/10.25675/3.018454","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10217/88577","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Miller, Mackenzie, author","Matheson, Jenn, advisor","Aberle, Jen, committee member","Miller, Lisa, committee member"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2007-01-03T06:23:19Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2007-01-03T06:23:19Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2014"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Colorado State University. Libraries"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Human Development and Family Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (M.S.)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Colorado State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["drug Loss","cannabis","grief and loss","marijuana","substance abuse treatment"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["Miller_Mackenzie_colostate_0053N_12767.pdf"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10217/88577","https://doi.org/10.25675/3.018454"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Grief-related symptoms among people in recovery from drug abuse have been acknowledged in the substance abuse literature. However, there is no existing theory to explain the phenomenon of grief reactions to discontinued drug use. In an attempt to contribute to the developing Drug Loss Theory (Matheson, in press), this mixed methods study was designed to investigate grief-related symptoms among individuals who have discontinued the use of cannabis. Worden's Task Model of Grief and Attachment Theory were used as the theoretical frameworks to guide this in-depth study of six college students who have discontinued the use of cannabis. The conceptual focus of the study was to explore the nature of the relationship between participants and cannabis, and to understand participants' descriptions and definitions of drug loss. The researchers administered the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test (CUDIT) which revealed a moderate level of dependence among the six participants. Total scores on the Core Bereavement Items (CBI) scale ranged from 20-40 (out of a 51 points), with an average score of 31.7, indicating a medium level of bereavement. Researchers collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews in order to explore the awareness and experience of five college students with a cannabis use disorder, and one college student with a polysubstance use disorder. I discuss the themes that emerged and integrate those with the literature including attachment theory and Worden's Tasks of Grief to compare and contrast the loss experience of these cannabis users to other loss experiences such as death of a loved one."]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["born digital","masters theses"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The experience of drug loss among college students in treatment for cannabis abuse"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Miller, Mackenzie, author","Matheson, Jenn, advisor","Aberle, Jen, committee member","Miller, Lisa, committee member"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2007-01-03T06:23:19Z"],"dc:date.available":["2007-01-03T06:23:19Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2014"],"dc:description.abstract":["Grief-related symptoms among people in recovery from drug abuse have been acknowledged in the substance abuse literature. However, there is no existing theory to explain the phenomenon of grief reactions to discontinued drug use. In an attempt to contribute to the developing Drug Loss Theory (Matheson, in press), this mixed methods study was designed to investigate grief-related symptoms among individuals who have discontinued the use of cannabis. Worden's Task Model of Grief and Attachment Theory were used as the theoretical frameworks to guide this in-depth study of six college students who have discontinued the use of cannabis. The conceptual focus of the study was to explore the nature of the relationship between participants and cannabis, and to understand participants' descriptions and definitions of drug loss. The researchers administered the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test (CUDIT) which revealed a moderate level of dependence among the six participants. Total scores on the Core Bereavement Items (CBI) scale ranged from 20-40 (out of a 51 points), with an average score of 31.7, indicating a medium level of bereavement. Researchers collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews in order to explore the awareness and experience of five college students with a cannabis use disorder, and one college student with a polysubstance use disorder. I discuss the themes that emerged and integrate those with the literature including attachment theory and Worden's Tasks of Grief to compare and contrast the loss experience of these cannabis users to other loss experiences such as death of a loved one."],"dc:format.medium":["born digital","masters theses"],"dc:identifier":["Miller_Mackenzie_colostate_0053N_12767.pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10217/88577","https://doi.org/10.25675/3.018454"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Colorado State University. Libraries"],"dc:rights":["Copyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright."],"dc:subject":["drug Loss","cannabis","grief and loss","marijuana","substance abuse treatment"],"dc:title":["The experience of drug loss among college students in treatment for cannabis abuse"],"dc:type":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Human Development and Family Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (M.S.)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Colorado State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:13:00Z"}