Adolescents are more sensitive than adults to acute behavioral and cognitive effects of THC.
Conor H. Murray, Zhengyi Huang, Royce Lee, Harriet de Wit
Neuropsychopharmacology June 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01281-w (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 24 |
| Population | Adolescents aged 18-20 and adults aged 30-40 with less than 20 lifetime uses of THC-containing products |
| Intervention | THC |
| Dose | 7.5, 15 mg |
| Duration | Three study sessions |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Adolescents exhibited greater sensitivity than adults to THC-induced impairments in reaction time, response accuracy, time perception, and P300 amplitude, despite similar subjective and cardiovascular effects. |
Abstract
Increased cannabis availability has contributed to increased use with concomitant incidence of adverse effects. One risk factor for adverse drug reactions may be age. There is preclinical evidence that acute effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary active constituent of cannabis, are greater during adolescence, but this has not been fully studied in humans. The present study sought to determine whether adolescent men and women are more sensitive than adults to acute THC. Adolescents aged 18-20 (N = 12) and adults aged 30-40 (N = 12), with less than 20 total lifetime uses of THC-containing products, received capsules of THC (7.5, 15 mg) and placebo across three study sessions in randomized order under double blind conditions. During each session, subjective, cardiovascular, behavioral, and EEG measures were obtained. Behavioral measures included Simple Reaction Time, Stop Task, Time Production and N-back and EEG measures included P300 amplitudes during an auditory oddball task and eyes-closed resting state. THC affected subjective state and heart rate similarly in both age groups. However, adolescents were more sensitive to performance impairing effects, exhibiting dose-dependent impairments on reaction time, response accuracy, and time perception. On EEG measures, THC dose-dependently decreased P300 amplitude in adolescents but not adults. Adolescents were more sensitive to behavioral and cognitive effects of THC, but not to cardiovascular effects or subjective measures. Thus, at doses that produce comparable ratings of intoxication, adolescents may exhibit greater cognitive impairment and alterations in brain function.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Healthy participants | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 48 |
| Distinct Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing Healthy, English-native, right-handed men who had used cannabis 15 times or less in... | 2009 | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial | n = 15 |
| Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Healthy male subjects | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 16 |
| Modulation of Mediotemporal and Ventrostriatal Function in Humans by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Healthy, native English-speaking, right-handed men of white race/ethnicity who had used... | 2009 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 15 |
| Cannabidiol (CBD) content in vaporized cannabis does not prevent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced impairment of driving and cognition Healthy volunteers with a history of light cannabis use | 2019 | Randomized, double-blind, within-subjects crossover | n = 14 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 14
- The acute effects of cannabis with and without cannabidiol in adults and adolescents: A randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, crossover experiment Addiction February 8, 2023
- Neural complexity is increased after low doses of LSD, but not moderate to high doses of oral THC or methamphetamine. Neuropsychopharmacology June 1, 2024
- The altered state of consciousness induced by Δ9-THC. Consciousness and Cognition May 28, 2022
- Acute effects of different types of cannabis on young adult and adolescent resting-state brain networks Neuropsychopharmacology May 28, 2024
- The acute effects of cannabis, with and without cannabidiol, on attentional bias to cannabis related cues: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study Psychopharmacology February 28, 2024
and 9 more in the library
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