Personality, not cognition, distinguishes chronic ayahuasca and cannabis users from non-users
European Neuropsychopharmacology February 12, 2026 José Carlos Bouso, Óscar Andión, Sabela Fondevila Estévez et al.
Regular users of ayahuasca or cannabis show no detectable lasting impairments in executive function or working memory compared to non-users, after abstaining for 10-30 days. Personality traits, not cognition or psychopathology, best distinguish the groups: ayahuasca users score higher on self-transcendence and lower on harm avoidance and persistence, while cannabis users score higher on novelty seeking and impulsive nonconformity and lower on introvertive anhedonia. Although ayahuasca users had a higher lifetime prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders, they showed no current psychopathological symptoms. The study's cross-sectional, self-selected, non-treatment-seeking sample may limit generalizability.