Psychopharmacology
September 2, 2016
Will Lawn, Tom P. Freeman, Rebecca Pope et al.
177 citations
Cannabis containing only THC reduced the likelihood of choosing high-effort rewards compared to placebo, indicating a transient amotivational state, while adding CBD altered the effect of THC on expected value. Cannabis-dependent individuals showed preserved motivation but impaired reward learning compared to non-dependent controls, though depression may have influenced results.
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 30, 2017
Tom P. Freeman, Rebecca Pope, Matthew B. Wall et al.
67 citations
Cannabis dampens the brain's response to music in regions involved in reward and emotion, including the auditory cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and ventral striatum. However, when cannabis also contains cannabidiol, these dampening effects are offset, and brain activity does not differ from placebo. Despite reduced neural responses, both types of cannabis increased participants' self-reported desire to listen to music and enhanced sound perception. The findings suggest that cannabidiol may mitigate some of cannabis's effects on brain reward systems.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
May 18, 2015
Sunjeev K. Kamboj, Emma J. Kilford, Stephanie Minchin et al.
43 citations
MDMA (ecstasy) and compassionate imagery both increase self-compassion and reduce self-criticism in recreational users. In a non-blind experiment, participants who consumed ecstasy showed similar pro-social effects to those produced by a contemplative compassion exercise, particularly in those with higher attachment-related avoidance. The findings suggest MDMA may enhance psychotherapy by fostering compassionate attitudes toward oneself. However, because the study was not blinded and drug purity was unknown, controlled trials with pharmaceutical-grade MDMA are needed to confirm these effects.