High-concentration THC cannabis products are consistently linked to worse mental health outcomes, especially psychosis or schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder. Among 99 studies (over 221,000 participants), 70% of non-therapeutic studies found unfavorable associations with psychosis or schizophrenia, and 75% found unfavorable associations with cannabis use disorder. For anxiety and depression, about half of non-therapeutic studies reported unfavorable associations, particularly in healthy populations. Some therapeutic studies suggested benefits for anxiety (47%) and depression (48%), but these findings were low-quality and inconsistent. More than 95% of the studies had moderate or high risk of bias.
Aesthetic experiences arise from an interplay of sensory, affective, and semantic processes. Psychedelics can profoundly alter these perceptions and evaluations, making them a valuable tool for investigating the neural basis of aesthetic experience. This article identifies synergies between psychedelic research and cognitive neuroscience to advance neuroaesthetics. It explores how psychedelic changes to sensory, affective, and semantic effects can inform understanding of neural mechanisms. The authors leverage existing theoretical frameworks and offer a preliminary agenda for future research.