RATIONALE Sex differences in the effects of cannabis have been demonstrated in animals, though the human evidence is more equivocal. In particular, more work is needed to better understand interactions between sex and dose in determining acute pharmacological effects of cannabis, especially at higher potencies of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). OBJECTIVES Sex differences were examined following...
Given the increasing availability of high-potency Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) products, understanding potency-related effects of Δ9-THC on driving performance is an important public safety issue. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects trial examined the effects of smoked cannabis with varying Δ9-THC concentrations on simulated driving. Adults aged 19–45 who...
Smoked cannabis is known to have effects on cognitive function. The use of edibles is on the rise yet there are few studies of the effects of edibles on cognitive function. Further, most studies of cannabis used fixed laboratory doses which may not capture some of the nuances of more naturalistic doses. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the psychoactive component of cannabis yet the...
Background: Adults over the age of 65 years are the fastest growing group of cannabis users, but there are few studies of the acute effects of cannabis in this population. Aims: In the present naturalistic study, participants were invited to smoke their preferred legal cannabis in the lab prior to tests of verbal learning and memory, executive function and information processing, and functional...
Acute cannabis exposure can transiently impair cognitive performance, increasing the risk of accidental injury and potentially disrupting activities of daily living. Although sex differences in responses to cannabis have been reported, no systematic review has examined whether these extend to acute cognitive effects. Our primary aim was to examine sex differences in the acute effects of...
Cannabis has been shown to impact driving due to changes produced by delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis. Current legal thresholds for blood THC while driving are based predominantly on evidence utilizing smoked cannabis. It is known that levels of THC in blood are lower after eating cannabis as compared to smoking yet the impact of edibles on driving and...
Genetic influences on acute responses to psychoactive drugs may contribute to individual variability in addiction risk. ABCB1 is a human gene that encodes P-glycoprotein, an ATP-dependent efflux pump that may influence the pharmacokinetics of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of cannabis. Using data from 48 young adults (aged 19–25 years) reporting 1–4 days...
Co-use of alcohol and cannabis is associated with increased frequency and intensity of use and related problems. This study examined acute effects of alcohol and cannabis on mood, subjective experience, cognition, and psychomotor performance. Twenty-eight healthy cannabis users aged 19-29 years with recent history of binge drinking completed this within-subjects, double-blind, double-dummy,...
With alcohol and cannabis remaining the most commonly detected drugs in seriously and fatally injured drivers, there is a need to understand their combined effects on driving. The present study examined the effects of combinations of smoked cannabis (12.5% THC) and alcohol (target BrAC 0.08%) on simulated driving performance, subjective drug effects, cardiovascular measures, and self-reported...
Objective: The prevalence of co-use of alcohol and cannabis is increasing, particularly among young adults. Sex differences in the effects of alcohol alone and cannabis alone have been observed in animals and humans. However, sex differences in the acute pharmacological effects of cannabis combined with alcohol have not yet been studied. In young adults, aged 19-29 years, we aimed to examine...