March 2026
Cannabis
What March 2026's 7 new studies found, synthesized from the papers below. All Cannabis research →
The synthesis
Synthesized from 5 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below
Found by searching the library for Cannabis, marijuana, THC, cannabidiol, CBD, then ranked by relevance.
Research published in March 2026 indicates that cannabis constituents THC and CBD have distinct neurophysiological effects: THC increases brain connectivity and blood flow, while CBD can mitigate THC-induced changes and ketamine-induced hyperlocomotion. Low-dose cannabis edibles impair verbal memory but not executive function or hazard perception in frequent users, and blood THC levels do not correlate with cognitive performance. However, these findings are based on small samples and animal models, limiting generalizability.
Evidence by study
Direction is which way each study's own result points, not our rating of the study.
What the directions mean
- Supports:
- the study found the intervention worked, or its hypothesis held.
- Opposes:
- it found the opposite, no benefit or a harm.
- No effect:
- no significant difference either way.
- Mixed:
- effects in both directions within the same study.
- Unclear:
- the abstract does not report a direction.
| Study | Design | Sample size | Direction | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriella Gobbi: Embracing psychiatry from bench to bedside 2026 | interview | Unclear | This interview summarizes Dr. Gobbi's prior research showing adolescent cannabis exposure increases depression vulnerability, but no new March 2026 findings are reported. | |
| Cannabidiol Mitigates Ketamine-Induced Hyperlocomotion Via Allosteric Potentiation of Ventral Tegmental Glycine Receptor α1 Signaling. 2026 | preclinical animal study | Supports | CBD mitigated ketamine-induced hyperlocomotion in mice via allosteric potentiation of glycine receptor α1 signaling in the ventral tegmental area. | |
| Acute cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and their mixture (THC:CBD) exert differential effects on brain activity and blood flow in rats: A translational neuroimaging study. 2026 | preclinical animal study | Mixed | THC increased whole-brain functional connectivity and cerebral blood flow, CBD decreased connectivity without affecting blood flow, and the THC:CBD mixture produced moderate increases, indicating distinct neurophysiological profiles. | |
| Effects of naturalistic doses of cannabis edibles on cognition and association with blood THC. 2026 | observational | 22 | Mixed | Low-dose cannabis edibles (mean 7.3 mg THC) impaired verbal free recall at 150 minutes but did not affect executive function or visual attention; blood THC was not correlated with cognitive outcomes. |
| The effects of orally ingested Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol on drivers' hazard perception and risk-taking behaviours: A within-subjects study of medicinal cannabis users. 2026 | within-subjects observational | 41 | Mixed | Orally ingested THC oil did not significantly impair actual hazard perception skill but reduced self-perceived performance; participants drove slower and maintained longer following distances post-consumption. |
This interview summarizes Dr. Gobbi's prior research showing adolescent cannabis exposure increases depression vulnerability, but no new March 2026 findings are reported.
interview
CBD mitigated ketamine-induced hyperlocomotion in mice via allosteric potentiation of glycine receptor α1 signaling in the ventral tegmental area.
preclinical animal study
THC increased whole-brain functional connectivity and cerebral blood flow, CBD decreased connectivity without affecting blood flow, and the THC:CBD mixture produced moderate increases, indicating distinct neurophysiological profiles.
preclinical animal study
Low-dose cannabis edibles (mean 7.3 mg THC) impaired verbal free recall at 150 minutes but did not affect executive function or visual attention; blood THC was not correlated with cognitive outcomes.
observational Sample size: 22
Orally ingested THC oil did not significantly impair actual hazard perception skill but reduced self-perceived performance; participants drove slower and maintained longer following distances post-consumption.
within-subjects observational Sample size: 41
Points of agreement
- THC and CBD have distinct and sometimes opposing effects on brain activity and behavior.
- Low-dose cannabis edibles impair verbal memory but not executive function or driving hazard perception in frequent users.
- Blood THC levels do not correlate with cognitive performance.
Conflicts
- No direct conflicts; studies address different outcomes (memory vs. driving vs. brain imaging) and populations (humans vs. rodents).
Gaps
- No studies on long-term or repeated cannabis use effects.
- No placebo-controlled or blinded human trials.
- Durability of cognitive effects beyond 270 minutes is unknown.
- Effects in occasional users or different age groups are not studied.
- Dose-response relationships for edibles are not established.