Psychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
Renée Martin-Willett, Samantha N. Melendez, Kent E. Hutchison et al.
RATIONALE An estimated two-thirds of medical cannabis users in the United States are motivated by chronic pain, but clinical guidance remains guarded as to whether the potential benefit of cannabinoids for pain outweighs potential risks, such as effects on cognition. OBJECTIVES In a study where participants experienced benefits of cannabinoids for pain and tension, we evaluated cannabis effects...
Clinical Therapeutics
September 2026
Jonathon K. Lisano, Luiza Rosa, Greg Giordano et al.
Emerging research indicates that the use of cannabis products, particularly those higher in cannabidiol (CBD), may be anxiolytic. Physical activity is another modality observed to have anxiolytic effects. Despite evidence of cannabis and physical activity being paired together, there is limited research on the possible synergistic effects of physical activity and cannabis use on reductions in...
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental
September 1, 2025
Renée Martin-Willett, Carillon J. Skrzynski, Angela D Bryan et al.
This study examined the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) on negative mood and drinking behaviors, and whether those effects were moderated by levels of perceived discrimination among participants who identify with a racial, ethnic, gender, or sexual identity that is underrepresented in research. Participants were either not using cannabis, using cannabis with THC, or...
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
July 1, 2025
Richard G. Hunter, Annelise Madison, Jonathon K. Lisano et al.
Introduction Inflammation has been implicated as an underlying pathology in negative affect and sleep disruption. Cannabinoids like delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) have demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to assess if cannabis use altered cytokine concentration and whether inflammatory status moderated the influence of 4 weeks of cannabis use on...
Journal of Cannabis Research
May 23, 2025
Margy Y. Chen, Ashley Brooks-Russell, Angela D Bryan et al.
As cannabis products become increasingly accessible and novel modes of administration like dabbing and vaping gain popularity, understanding how these modes impact use experiences and abuse liability is crucial. Existing studies primarily utilized laboratory settings with lower-potency research-grade cannabis, failing to capture common modes among individuals who use higher-potency legal market...
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
February 1, 2025
Margy Y. Chen, Emily B Kramer, Laurel P Gibson et al.
Objective: Cannabis has been touted for a host of pharmacological and therapeutic effects and users commonly report reduced symptoms of physical and mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. While there is existing empirical evidence supporting these effects of cannabis use, little is known about the extent to which these effects result from pharmacological...
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
June 17, 2024
Madeline K Stanger, Harmony O Soffer, Angela D Bryan et al.
1 citation
Introduction: In Colorado, both cannabis and psilocybin are legal and becoming more commonly used. However, there is almost no research detailing the public health concerns regarding negative outcomes (e.g., dependence) of cannabis and psilocybin co-use and motives that may perpetuate these negative outcomes (e.g., coping, boredom). Methods: Using data from a larger observational study on...
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
February 1, 2024
Laurel P Gibson, Raeghan L. Mueller, Evan A Winiger et al.
Background: The popularity of edible cannabis products continues to grow in states with legal cannabis access, but few studies have investigated the acute effects of these commercially available products. The present study sought to explore the effects of three commercially available edible products with different levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Methods: A...
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
January 22, 2024
L. Bidwell, Renée Martin-Willett, Carillon J. Skrzynski et al.
Objective: Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) have varying pharmacological actions with differential effects on acute and extended affective states, incuding anxiety. We aimed to study these effects on anxiety in legal market forms of cannabis. Method: This study makes use of a nonequivalent control group quasiexperimental design. Forty-two participants with anxiety symptions...
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
July 13, 2023
Laurel P Gibson, Angela D Bryan
Background: The use of cannabis with various forms of exercise (e.g., running) has received increased media attention in recent years, contradicting the popular stereotype that cannabis is associated with sedentary behavior. Although cross-sectional evidence suggests a positive association between cannabis use and exercise engagement, to date, the acute effects of cannabis on exercise remain...
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
May 18, 2023
Carillon J. Skrzynski, Angela D Bryan, Kent E. Hutchison
Objective: This study compared two mechanisms by which mindfulness may reduce hazardous drinking: effortful control and craving, "top-down" and "bottom-up" processes, respectively. These relationships were compared in a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) versus relapse prevention (RP) treatments to explore if they differed based on...
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
February 10, 2022
K. Watson, Angela D Bryan, R. Thayer et al.
Several lines of evidence suggest that older adults (aged 65+) sharply increased their cannabis use over the last decade, highlighting a need to understand the effects of cannabis in this age group. Pre-clinical models suggest that cannabinoids affect the brain and cognition in an age-dependent fashion, having generally beneficial effects on older animals and deleterious effects on younger...
Addiction Biology
2022
Laurel P Gibson, Hollis C Karoly, Jarrod M. Ellingson et al.
Using a federally compatible, naturalistic at-home administration procedure, the present study examined the acute effects of three cannabis flower chemovars with different tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD) ratios, in order to test whether chemovars with a higher CBD content produce different effects. Participants were randomly assigned to ad libitum administration of one of three...
Psychopharmacology
October 27, 2021
L. C. Bidwell, Hollis C Karoly, M. O. Torres et al.
Published studies examining the effects of cannabis have largely utilized forms of cannabis that are not representative of the legal market products currently available. The present study aimed to characterize naturalistic use of legal market flower and edible products by examining associations among blood cannabinoids and amount of THC consumed as well as physiological, cognitive, and...