PLoS One
March 17, 2021
Marcel O Bonn-Miller, Sue Sisley, Paula Riggs et al.
129 citations
A randomized placebo-controlled trial tested three concentrations of smoked cannabis (high THC, high CBD, THC+CBD) against placebo in military veterans with PTSD. Over three weeks, all groups including placebo showed significant improvements in PTSD symptom severity, but none of the active cannabis concentrations outperformed placebo statistically. The treatments were generally well tolerated. This preliminary trial did not find evidence that smoked cannabis is more effective than placebo for PTSD symptoms in the short term, highlighting the need for further well-powered studies.
Depression and Anxiety
January 1, 2008
Marcel O Bonn-Miller, Michael J Zvolensky, Amit Bernstein et al.
29 citations
Among 149 young adult marijuana users, those who both used marijuana frequently (past 30 days) and reported using it to cope with negative emotions had the highest levels of anxious arousal, agoraphobic cognitions, and worry. This pattern held after accounting for cigarettes, alcohol, and years of marijuana use. No similar interaction was found for depressive symptoms, suggesting the link is specific to anxiety rather than depression.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 3, 2017
Mallory Loflin, Mitch Earleywine, Stacey Farmer et al.
7 citations
Telling people they are consuming a cannabis-infused edible can produce feelings of intoxication even when the product contains no active drug. In a study of 20 participants who were given a placebo lollipop but told it contained a high dose of THC, measures of cannabis intoxication and negative mood showed significant changes over 60 minutes, while positive mood and a general intoxication measure did not. This provides preliminary evidence that the placebo effect extends to edible cannabis products, which have a delayed onset of effect.
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
November 1, 2025
Justin C Strickland, Hayleigh E Tilton, Noah M Patton et al.
Caffeine co-administered with THC produced minimal changes in subjective effects, performance, or metabolism, though signals for perceived driving impairment were observed. In contrast, CBD co-administered with THC and caffeine increased outcomes associated with abuse liability and performance impairment versus THC alone. CBD also increased plasma THC and 11-OH-THC concentrations. These data provide the first direct assessment of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic effects of THC and caffeine co-administered in humans, emphasizing the importance of considering full cannabinoid profiles and drug combinations in regulatory decision-making.
Progress in Brain Research
January 1, 2019
Marieke K. van Vugt, Amir Moye, Joshua Pollock et al.
Analytical meditation and monastic debate, contemplative practices central to Tibetan Buddhist monastic training at Sera Jey Monastic University, have been largely unexplored in Western science. Based on discussions with teachers and senior students and preliminary experiments, the authors outline a theory of the psychological mechanisms underlying this highly physical form of debate. They propose that successful debating requires reasoning, critical thinking, attentional focus, working memory, emotion regulation, confidence in reasoning, and social connectedness. The cumulative hours of debate practice over 20+ years of monastic training likely cultivate these skills. Scientific research is needed to test these hypotheses and determine debate's role in psychological wellbeing and educational achievement.