Cannabis Use and Neuroadaptation: A Call for Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Challenge Studies
Frontiers in Psychiatry April 14, 2022 Johannes G. Ramaekers, Eef L. Theunissen, Peter van Ruitenbeek et al. 6 citations
Comparing brain function between chronic cannabis users and non-users may be confounded by factors like polydrug use, alcohol, withdrawal, or lifestyle. A proposed methodology uses acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) dosing studies to directly assess neuroadaptations in chronic users. This approach quantifies neurochemical, receptor, and functional brain network changes in response to an acute cannabis challenge and stratifies users from occasional to dependent. It enables evaluation of THC-induced neuroadaptive and neurocognitive changes across cannabis use history, informing neurobiological models of reward-driven, compulsive cannabis use.