Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
June 17, 2024
Madeline K Stanger, Harmony O Soffer, Angela D Bryan et al.
1 citation
Among regular cannabis users in Colorado, those who had also used psilocybin in the past three months reported higher cannabis dependence scores and more strongly endorsed using cannabis for enjoyment, boredom, and altered experience than those who had not used psilocybin recently. The correlation between cannabis dependence and the motive of altered experience was stronger for co-users. The findings suggest motivational differences and potentially greater risk of harm for people who co-use cannabis and psilocybin.
Human Psychopharmacology
September 1, 2025
Renée Martin-Willett, Carillon J. Skrzynski, Angela D Bryan et al.
In a randomized trial, people using cannabis with cannabidiol (CBD) experienced greater decreases in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress over four weeks compared to those using cannabis with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This benefit was most pronounced among participants who reported average or high levels of perceived discrimination. No significant changes in drinking behaviors were observed. The findings suggest that CBD may help reduce negative emotional symptoms in the short term without increasing risk for alcohol misuse, and that perceived discrimination plays an important role in this relationship.
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
July 1, 2025
Richard G. Hunter, Annelise Madison, Jonathon K. Lisano et al.
In people with anxiety, baseline inflammatory status moderates how cannabis use affects negative affect and sleep quality. Over four weeks, participants with mild or greater anxiety who used cannabis chemovars higher in cannabidiol (CBD) showed more consistent improvements in mood and sleep, whereas improvements with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-dominant chemovars varied depending on the individual's baseline inflammation. No group-dependent changes in cytokine concentrations were observed over the study period.
Journal of Cannabis Research
May 23, 2025
Margy Y. Chen, Ashley Brooks-Russell, Angela D Bryan et al.
Dabbing, a method of vaporizing cannabis concentrates, produces higher blood THC concentrations and stronger subjective drug effects than smoking flower products via joints or bongs, though the intense intoxication fades more quickly. Vaping also shows a rapid decline in subjective effects. These findings come from a secondary analysis of two quasi-experimental studies with 252 participants who used their own legal-market cannabis products in a naturalistic setting. The results highlight that the mode of administration substantially influences THC exposure and the experience of intoxication, and future research should account for these differences.
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
February 1, 2025
Margy Y. Chen, Emily B Kramer, Laurel P Gibson et al.
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.
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
February 1, 2024
Laurel P Gibson, Raeghan L. Mueller, Evan A Winiger et al.
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.
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
January 22, 2024
L. Bidwell, R. Martin-Willett, Carillon J. Skrzynski et al.
Among people with anxiety symptoms who used cannabis flower about three to four times per week over four weeks, those using CBD-dominant cannabis (24% CBD, <1% THC) reported lower anxiety on the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale compared to those using THC-dominant cannabis (24% THC, <1% CBD), even after accounting for frequency of use. Immediately after use, CBD-dominant cannabis was also linked to lower tension and paranoia ratings than either THC-dominant or balanced THC+CBD (12% each) cannabis. All cannabis groups showed acute improvements in positive mood and some drug effects, and all reported reduced anxiety over the study period. The findings suggest that CBD-dominant forms may offer acute tension reduction that could support longer-term anxiety relief, without THC increasing anxiety.
Addiction Biology
January 1, 2022
Laurel P Gibson, Hollis C Karoly, Jarrod M. Ellingson et al.
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.