Cannabis-induced oceanic boundlessness
Journal of Psychopharmacology – March 28, 2021
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
High doses of Cannabis can induce subjective "breakthrough" experiences mirroring those from the Hallucinogen Psilocybin. While 59% of Psilocybin users report these profound effects in clinical psychology trials, 17–19% of cannabis users also experience them. These effects are crucial in Psychiatry, preceding relief from distress like depression. Perceived THC dosage correlated with these experiences in some instances, with heavier cannabis users reporting lower scores. This suggests potential for cannabis-assisted medicine, paralleling Psilocybin's therapeutic applications in Psychedelics and Drug Studies, and Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
Abstract
Background: Despite tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)’s reputation for creating dramatic effects at high doses, empirical work rarely addresses cannabis’s impact on subjective responses common to the tryptamine psychedelics. We focused on these effects because they have preceded and covaried with the therapeutic impact of psilocybin in previous work. Aims: The current study examined if self-reported responses to cannabis products might parallel those found in clinical trials of psilocybin administration. We also investigated if measures of demographics and cannabis use might correlate with these responses. Methods: Participants reported the subjective effect of their highest THC experience using 27 items that assess oceanic boundlessness, a correlate of mystical experiences. They also answered infrequency items and questions on demographics and cannabis consumption. Results: In an effort to address concerns about replication, we divided respondents who passed infrequency items into two random samples. Self-reported “breakthrough” experiences were significantly greater than zero but significantly lower than those reported in randomized clinical trials of psilocybin (17–19% vs. 59%). Total scores covaried with perceived dosages of THC, but only in one sample. Heavier users of cannabis reported lower scores. Conclusions: Self-report data suggest that high doses of cannabis can create subjective effects comparable to those identified in trials of psilocybin that precede relief from cancer-related distress, treatment-resistant depression, alcohol problems, and cigarette dependence. Given the disparate mechanisms of action, comparing THC-induced to psilocybin-induced effects might improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying subjective experiences. This work might also support the development of a cannabis-assisted psychotherapy comparable to psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy.