Acute effects of naturalistic THC vs. CBD use on recognition memory: a preliminary study

Journal of Cannabis Research

L. Cinnamon Bidwell¹  Tim Curran²  Sophie L. YorkWilliams³  Hélène Devillez³ 

[1] Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, 80309-0345, Boulder, CO, USA;Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, UCB 345, University of Colorado Boulder, 80309-0345, Boulder, CO, USA;Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 80309-0345, Boulder, CO, USA;

关键词: Marijuana;    Cannabis;    Cannabinoids;    Episodic memory;    Verbal memory;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s42238-020-00034-0

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

The ratio of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD) varies widely across cannabis strains. CBD has opposite effects to THC on a variety of cognitive functions, including acute THC-induced memory impairments. However, additional data are needed, especially under naturalistic conditions with higher potency forms of cannabis, commonly available in legal markets. The goal of this study was to collect preliminary data on the acute effects of different THC:CBD ratios on memory testing in a brief verbal recognition task under naturalistic conditions, using legal-market Colorado dispensary products. Thirty-two regular cannabis users consumed cannabis of differing THC and CBD levels purchased from a dispensary and were assessed via blood draw and a verbal recognition memory test both before (pretest) and after (posttest) ad libitum home administration in a mobile laboratory. Memory accuracy decreased as post-use THC blood levels increased (n = 29), whereas performance showed no relationship to CBD blood levels. When controlling for post-use THC blood levels as a covariate, participants using primarily THC-based strains showed significantly worse memory accuracy post-use, whereas subjects using strains containing both THC and CBD showed no differences between pre- and post-use memory performance. Using a brief and sensitive verbal recognition task, our study demonstrated that naturalistic, acute THC use impairs memory in a dose dependent manner, whereas the combination of CBD and THC was not associated with impairment.

【 授权许可】

CC BY