Chronic cannabis use in everyday life: Emotional, motivational, and self-regulatory effects of frequently getting high
Michael Inzlicht, Taylor Bridget Sparrow-Mungal, Gregory John Depow
October 13, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/qcsfb (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experience sampling study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 260 |
| Population | Chronic cannabis users |
| Intervention | Cannabis |
| Duration | 7 days, with 5 queries per day |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Getting high was associated with more positive and fewer negative emotions and minimal effects on motivation or effort willingness, but with lower scores on facets of conscientiousness; no 'weed hangover' was evident. Very frequent users, relative to less frequent users, showed more dispositional negative emotions and greater motivation but reported less self-control and willpower. |
Abstract
Approximately 200 million people consume cannabis annually, with a significant proportion of them using it chronically. Using experience sampling, we describe the effects of chronically getting high on emotions, motivation, effort, and self-regulation in everyday life. We queried chronic users (N=260) 5 times per day over 7 days (3,701 observations) to assess immediate effects of getting high and longer-term, between-person effects. Getting high was associated with more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions. Contrary to stereotypes, we observed minimal effects on motivation or objective effort willingness. However, getting high was associated with lower scores on facets of conscientiousness. Surprisingly, there was no evidence of a weed hangover. Relative to less frequent users, very frequent users exhibited more negative emotions dispositionally, but they were more motivated. They also reported less self-control and willpower. As attitudes about cannabis are changing, our findings provide a rich description of its chronic use.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis People with first episode of psychosis and healthy controls from the local population | 2009 | Case-control study | n = 454 |
| Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Rural aboriginal population | 2013 | Observational study | |
| Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people | 2000 | Observational | |
| Continued cannabis use and risk of incidence and persistence of psychotic symptoms: 10 year follow-up cohort study Individuals from the general population in Germany aged 14-24 at baseline | 2011 | Observational cohort | n = 1,923 |
| Cannabis-induced psychosis and subsequent schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: follow-up study of 535 incident cases Patients treated for cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms in Denmark between 1994 and... | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 535 |