Which biological and self-report measures of cannabis use predict cannabis dependency and acute psychotic-like effects?
Helen Valerie Curran, Chandni Hindocha, Celia J. A. Morgan, Natacha D. C. Shaban, Ravi Das, Tom P. Freeman
Psychological Medicine September 4, 2018 DOI: 10.1017/s003329171800226x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study (naturalistic, within-subject counterbalanced design) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 410 |
| Population | Young cannabis users |
| Measures | Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS), DSM-IV-TR, Psychotomimetic State Inventory (PSI), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Citations | 65 |
| Key findings | Cannabis dependency was positively associated with days per month of cannabis use on both the SDS and DSM-IV-TR, and with urinary THC-COOH/creatinine on the SDS. Acute psychotic-like symptoms were positively associated with age of first cannabis use and negatively with urinary THC-COOH/creatinine; no predictors emerged for BPRS. The authors conclude that THC exposure levels are positively associated with both dependency and tolerance to acute psychotic-like effects. |
Abstract
Background: Changes in cannabis regulation globally make it increasingly important to determine what predicts an individual's risk of experiencing adverse drug effects. Relevant studies have used diverse self-report measures of cannabis use, and few include multiple biological measures. Here we aimed to determine which biological and self-report measures of cannabis use predict cannabis dependency and acute psychotic-like symptoms.
Method: In a naturalistic study, 410 young cannabis users were assessed once when intoxicated with their own cannabis and once when drug-free in counterbalanced order. Biological measures of cannabinoids [(Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN) and their metabolites)] were derived from three samples: each participant's own cannabis (THC, CBD), a sample of their hair (THC, THC-OH, THC-COOH, CBN, CBD) and their urine (THC-COOH/creatinine). Comprehensive self-report measures were also obtained. Self-reported and clinician-rated assessments were taken for cannabis dependency [Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS), DSM-IV-TR] and acute psychotic-like symptoms [Psychotomimetic State Inventory (PSI) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS)].
Results: Cannabis dependency was positively associated with days per month of cannabis use on both measures, and with urinary THC-COOH/creatinine for the SDS. Acute psychotic-like symptoms were positively associated with age of first cannabis use and negatively with urinary THC-COOH/creatinine; no predictors emerged for BPRS.
Conclusions: Levels of THC exposure are positively associated with both cannabis dependency and tolerance to the acute psychotic-like effects of cannabis. Combining urinary and self-report assessments (use frequency; age first used) enhances the measurement of cannabis use and its association with adverse outcomes.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked Cannabis' Psychomotor and Neurocognitive Effects in Occasional and Frequent Smokers Occasional (<2x/week) and frequent (≥4x/week) cannabis smokers | 2015 | Controlled within-subjects study | n = 25 |
| 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 |
| Cannabis Essential Oil: A Preliminary Study for the Evaluation of the Brain Effects Healthy volunteers | 2018 | Experimental study | n = 5 |
| Coming off cannabis: a cognitive and magnetic resonance imaging study in patients with multiple sclerosis Patients with multiple sclerosis who began using cannabis after disease onset, used it... | 2019 | Quasi-experimental study with odd-even allocation | n = 40 |
| Cannabis-induced altered states of consciousness are associated with specific dynamic brain connectivity states Healthy occasional cannabis users (smoking cannabis ≤2 per week) | 2019 | Repeated-measures, within-subjects design | n = 19 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 14
- The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies Pharmacology & Therapeutics October 20, 2018
- Cannabis and Psychosis: Are We any Closer to Understanding the Relationship? Current Psychiatry Reports June 4, 2019
- Rates and correlates of cannabis-associated psychotic symptoms in over 230,000 people who use cannabis Translational Psychiatry September 6, 2022
- From heavy cannabis use to psychosis: is it time to take action? Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine May 27, 2021
- Does variation in trait schizotypy and frequency of cannabis use influence the acute subjective, cognitive and psychotomimetic effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol? A mega-analysis Journal of Psychopharmacology January 9, 2021
and 9 more in the library
Cites 16
- Subanesthetic Effects of the Noncompetitive NMDA Antagonist, Ketamine, in Humans Archives of General Psychiatry March 1, 1994
- Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Journal of Psychopharmacology October 5, 2012
- Are adolescents more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis than adults? A placebo-controlled study in human males Translational Psychiatry November 29, 2016
- Anatomy of a Joint: Comparing Self-Reported and Actual Dose of Cannabis and Tobacco in a Joint, and How These Are Influenced by Controlled Acute Administration Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 2017
- Potency of Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids in cannabis in England in 2016: Implications for public health and pharmacology. Drug Testing and Analysis April 2018
and 11 more in the library