Smoked Cannabis Effects in Cannabis Users at Clinical High-Risk for Psychosis: A Further Investigation of Cognition and Reward
Cannabis February 22, 2022 Sean P Madden, John G Keilp, Olivia Wu et al.
Cannabis acutely worsened cognitive control and produced more aversive intoxication in cannabis users at clinical high-risk for psychosis, but not in psychiatrically-healthy cannabis users. Six high-risk and six healthy users smoked either active (5.5% THC) or placebo cannabis under double-blind conditions. High-risk participants showed decreased response inhibition and aversive intoxication after active cannabis, along with changes in psychomotor speed and cannabis-related attentional bias. No such effects appeared in healthy users. The findings provide preliminary evidence of a deleterious cognitive and reward-related response to cannabis in individuals with preexisting psychosis risk.