Smoked Cannabis Effects in Cannabis Users at Clinical High-Risk for Psychosis: A Further Investigation of Cognition and Reward
Cannabis February 22, 2022 Sean Madden, John Keilp, Olivia Wu et al.
Cannabis acutely worsened cognitive control and produced more aversive intoxication in cannabis users at clinical high-risk for psychosis, but not in psychiatrically-healthy cannabis users. Six high-risk and six healthy users smoked either active (5.5% THC) or placebo cannabis under double-blind conditions. High-risk participants showed decreased response inhibition and aversive intoxication after active cannabis, along with changes in psychomotor speed and cannabis-related attentional bias. No such effects appeared in healthy users. The findings provide preliminary evidence of a deleterious cognitive and reward-related response to cannabis in individuals with preexisting psychosis risk.