Baseline affective symptomatology moderates acute subjective effects of high potency THC and CBD cannabis concentrates.
Renée Martin-Willett, Carillon J Skrzynski, Hollis C Karoly, Joshua S Elmore, L Cinnamon Bidwell
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology December 2023 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000667 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Exploratory experimental study with ad libitum naturalistic use Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 54 |
| Population | Cannabis users (48% female; mean age 29.87 years) |
| Duration | Assessed at baseline and before, immediately after, and 1 hr after use |
| Topics | Cannabis CBD |
| Key findings | Baseline depression symptoms moderated the acute mood effects of cannabis concentrates: higher depression symptoms were associated with higher positive mood during THC-dominant use, and negative mood decreased with CBD-dominant use across all depression levels but increased with THC-dominant use at high depression levels. The THC-dominant product also produced greater intoxication after use. The authors suggest that preexisting affective symptoms modulate the intensity of subjective drug experiences. |
Abstract
Highly potent cannabis concentrates are widely available and associated with affective disturbance and cannabis use disorder. Little is known about the effects of concentrated Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and their relationship to long-term affect. We explored how baseline affective symptoms (anxiety and depression) relate to acute (i.e., immediate or short-term) subjective mood and intoxication effects during naturalistic use of cannabis concentrates. Fifty-four cannabis users (48% female; Mage = 29.87) were assigned to ad libitum use of either a THC-dominant (84.99% THC and THCa, < 1% CBD) or CBD-dominant (74.7% CBD, 4.1% CBDa, 4.5% THC and THCa) concentrate. Individuals were assessed at baseline and before, immediately after, and 1 hr after naturalistic use of their assigned product. Models regressed each outcome on time, product condition, baseline affective symptoms, and their interactions. An interaction emerged between condition and baseline depression symptoms on positive mood (F = 9.47, p < .005); higher depression symptom level was associated with higher positive mood with THC-dominant product use. There was an interaction between condition, baseline depression symptoms, and time on negative mood (F = 5.55, p < .01); negative mood decreased with CBD-dominant product use for all depression symptom levels but increased with THC-dominant product use at high levels. Finally, there was an interaction between condition and time on intoxication (F = 3.72, p = .03); the THC-dominant condition was more intoxicated postuse than the CBD-dominant condition. This novel exploratory study suggests that baseline affect moderates the acute effects of ad libitum use of THC and CBD concentrates such that preexisting affective symptoms modulate the intensity of subjective drug experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on CBD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dissociable effects of cannabis with and without cannabidiol on the human brain’s resting-state functional connectivity Healthy volunteers experienced with cannabis but not regular users | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental design | n = 17 |
| Pharmacological characterization of cannabidiol as a negative allosteric modulator of the 5-HT2A receptor. HEK 293 cells and rat primary cortical neurons | 2025 | Laboratory study | |
| Placebo Effects of Edible Cannabis: Reported Intoxication Effects at a 30-Minute Delay Participants | 2017 | Within-subjects experimental design | n = 20 |
| THC, CBD and minor cannabinoid CBDV differently modulate hippocampal neurons firing. Cultured hippocampal neurons | 2025 | Experimental study | |
| Acute and Extended Anxiolytic Effects of Cannabidiol in Cannabis Flower: A Quasi-Experimental ad libitum Use Study Participants with anxiety symptoms who were not using cannabis or who used cannabis... | 2024 | Nonequivalent control group quasiexperimental design | n = 300 |