People who expect cannabis to improve their health tend to report greater acute reductions in tension after smoking cannabis flower, and greater increases in elation and reductions in pain after eating cannabis edibles. Among edible users, expecting cannabis to help with depression was linked to more elation, and expecting it to help with pain was linked to less pain. These expectancy effects occurred regardless of the product's THC and CBD levels, showing that users' beliefs shape some of the subjective effects of legal cannabis.
Regular cannabis users who self-administered commercially available edible products experienced increased intoxication and elation, decreased tension, and no change in paranoia two hours after use. Those who consumed a CBD-dominant product reported less intoxication than those who used a THC-only or THC+CBD product. Participants who used a THC+CBD product consumed less THC and had lower plasma THC levels than those using a THC-only product, yet reported similar positive and psychotomimetic effects. Psychotomimetic effects were very low across all conditions. The findings suggest that edible products containing CBD may allow experienced users to achieve desired effects with lower THC exposure, potentially reducing harm.
Running after using cannabis was associated with a more positive exercise experience among regular cannabis users, despite a slight, non-significant slowing of pace by 31 seconds per mile. Participants reported greater positive affect, tranquility, enjoyment, dissociation, and runner's high symptoms, as well as less negative affect and lower pain after cannabis runs compared to non-cannabis runs. Perceived exertion did not differ between conditions. The form of cannabis, cannabinoid content, and feelings of being high were largely unrelated to the exercise experience. The findings suggest acute cannabis use may enhance the subjective experience of running for regular users.
Cannabis flower with both THC and CBD produces similar positive effects but less paranoia and anxiety than THC-dominant cannabis. In a naturalistic at-home study, 159 regular cannabis users were randomly assigned to one of three chemovars: THC-dominant (24% THC, 1% CBD), THC+CBD (9% THC, 10% CBD), or CBD-dominant (1% THC, 23% CBD). Plasma samples showed those using the CBD-dominant or THC+CBD chemovars had significantly less THC and more CBD than those using the THC-dominant chemovar. The THC+CBD chemovar yielded similar positive subjective effects but significantly less paranoia and anxiety compared to the THC-dominant chemovar, suggesting potential harm reduction from CBD.