Acute effects of high-potency cannabis flower and cannabis concentrates on everyday life memory and decision making.
Carrie Cuttler, Emily M LaFrance, Amanda Stueber
Scientific Reports July 2, 2021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93198-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 80 |
| Population | Cannabis users |
| Intervention | high-potency cannabis flower with CBD |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | High-potency cannabis flower with CBD impaired free recall, flower without CBD and concentrates impaired source memory, and all three products increased false memories, with CBD not offsetting impairments. |
Abstract
Statewide legislation has increased public access to high-potency cannabis flower and concentrates, yet federal restrictions limit researchers' access to relatively low-potency whole-plant cannabis. The goal of this study was to examine the acute effects of high-potency cannabis on cognition using a novel methodology. We further sought to compare cognitive effects of high-potency cannabis flower with and without cannabidiol (CBD), as well as cannabis concentrates to cannabis flower. 80 cannabis users were randomly assigned to stay sober or use their funds to purchase one of three high-potency cannabis products: (1) high-potency flower (≥ 20% THC) without CBD, (2) high-potency flower with CBD, (3) high-potency concentrates (≥ 60% THC) with CBD. Participants were observed over Zoom videoconferencing while inhaling their product or remaining sober and then were administered tests of everyday life memory (prospective, source, temporal order, and false memory) and decision making (risky choice framing, consistency in risk perception, resistance to sunk cost, and over/under confidence) over Zoom. High-potency cannabis flower with CBD impaired free recall, high-potency flower without CBD and concentrates had detrimental effects on source memory, and all three products increased susceptibility to false memories. CBD did not offset impairments and concentrates were self-titrated producing comparable intoxication and impairment as flower.
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 10
- High-Concentration Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Cannabis Products and Mental Health Outcomes : A Systematic Review. Annals of Internal Medicine October 1, 2025
- Effects of naturalistic doses of cannabis edibles on cognition and association with blood THC. Psychopharmacology March 1, 2026
- Multimodal examination of the acute effects of cannabis on subjective and physiological stress-related outcomes: a randomized placebo-controlled laboratory study. Neuropsychopharmacology August 22, 2026
- Mapping the acute effects of cannabis on multiple memory domains: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2026
- The effects of naturalistic cannabis use on cognition and subjective experience in older adults with normal cognitive function Journal of Psychopharmacology November 3, 2025
and 5 more in the library
Cites 17
- Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Journal of Psychopharmacology October 5, 2012
- Cannabidiol (CBD) content in vaporized cannabis does not prevent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced impairment of driving and cognition Psychopharmacology May 1, 2019
- Cannabis increases susceptibility to false memory Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences February 10, 2020
- Psychoactive drugs and false memory: comparison of dextroamphetamine and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on false recognition Psychopharmacology 2012
- False memory formation in cannabis users: a field study Psychopharmacology June 27, 2019
and 12 more in the library