Neurophysiological and subjective profile of marijuana with varying concentrations of cannabinoids
Behavioural Pharmacology September 1, 2005 A. B. Ilan, Alan Gevins, Michael J. Coleman et al. 165 citations
Smoking marijuana with delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) produces expected effects on mood, behavior, and brain activity, but varying the concentrations of other cannabinoids like cannabichromene (CBC) and cannabidiol (CBD) does not change responses. Twenty-three healthy marijuana users (12 men, 11 women) participated in four sessions, randomly assigned to low or high THC groups (1.8% versus 3.6%). Under blinded conditions, they smoked placebo or THC cigarettes with low or high levels of CBC (0.1% versus 0.5%) and CBD (0.2% versus 1.0%). Active THC cigarettes decreased performance, reduced EEG power, and attenuated ERP components reflecting attentional processes during working and episodic memory tests, mostly without dose dependence. CBC and CBD concentrations did not alter any outcomes, consistent with THC being the primary active constituent.