MDMA, cannabis, and cocaine produce acute dissociative symptoms.
Dalena van Heugten-van der Kloet, Timo Giesbrecht, Janelle H. P. van Wel, Wendy M. Bosker, Kim P. C. Kuypers, Eef L. Theunissen, Desirée Spronk, Robbert Jan Verkes, Harald Merckelbach, Johannes G. Ramaekers
Psychiatry Research August 30, 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.04.028 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Two placebo-controlled studies Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 37 |
| Population | Recreational drug users participating in two placebo-controlled studies (16 in Study 1, 21 in Study 2) |
| Interventions | MDMA Cannabis Cocaine |
| Dose | MDMA 25, 50, and 100 mg; THC 300 µg/kg; cocaine HCl 300 mg |
| Measures | Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale (CADSS) |
| Topics | Cannabis MDMA |
| Keywords | Cocaine Dissociative symptoms Drugs of abuse |
| Key points | MDMA and cannabis significantly increased dissociative symptoms as measured by the CADSS, with effects exceeding those seen in schizophrenia patients and comparable to Special Forces soldiers in survival training, though lower than ketamine-induced dissociation. Cocaine produced milder dissociative symptoms, comparable to schizophrenia patients but markedly less than Special Forces soldiers and ketamine users. The authors argue that MDMA and cannabis can produce dissociation resembling dissociative pathology. |
Abstract
Some drugs of abuse may produce dissociative symptoms, but this aspect has been understudied. We explored the dissociative potential of three recreational drugs (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cannabis, and cocaine) during intoxication and compared their effects to literature reports of dissociative states in various samples. Two placebo-controlled studies were conducted. In Study 1 (N=16), participants received single doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg of MDMA, and placebo. In Study 2 (N=21), cannabis (THC 300 µg/kg), cocaine (HCl 300 mg), and placebo were administered. Dissociative symptoms as measured with the Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale (CADSS) significantly increased under the influence of MDMA and cannabis. To a lesser extent, this was also true for cocaine. Dissociative symptoms following MDMA and cannabis largely exceeded those observed in schizophrenia patients, were comparable with those observed in Special Forces soldiers undergoing survival training, but were lower compared with ketamine-induced dissociation. Cocaine produced dissociative symptoms that were comparable with those observed in schizophrenia patients, but markedly less than those in Special Forces soldiers and ketamine users. Thus, MDMA and cannabis can produce dissociative symptoms that resemble dissociative pathology. The study of drug induced dissociation is important, because it may shed light on the mechanisms involved in dissociative psychopathology.
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 17
- A low dose of lysergic acid diethylamide decreases pain perception in healthy volunteers Journal of Psychopharmacology August 25, 2020
- MDMA-Induced Dissociative State not Mediated by the 5-HT2A Receptor Frontiers in Pharmacology July 11, 2017
- Trait dissociation as a predictor of induced dissociation by ketamine or esketamine in treatment-resistant depression: Secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Psychiatric Research May 8, 2021
- Neurocognition and Subjective Experience Following Acute Doses of the Synthetic Cannabinoid JWH-018: Responders Versus Nonresponders Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research February 27, 2019
- Psychotomimetic symptoms after a moderate dose of a synthetic cannabinoid (JWH-018): implications for psychosis Psychopharmacology January 26, 2021
and 12 more in the library
Cites 11
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- Amphetamine-type central nervous system stimulants release norepinephrine more potently than they release dopamine and serotonin Synapse 2000
- Measurement of dissociative states with the Clinician‐Administered Dissociative States Scale (CADSS) Journal of Traumatic Stress 1998
- Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Current Pharmaceutical Design September 12, 2012
- Modulation of Mediotemporal and Ventrostriatal Function in Humans by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Archives of General Psychiatry April 1, 2009
and 6 more in the library