Behavioral Neuroscience
January 1, 1996
Linda A. Parker
41 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) produces a conditioned place preference only at the highest dose tested (0.2 mg/kg), and this preference is prevented by a single preexposure to the conditioning chamber (latent inhibition). When paired with sucrose, LSD doses from 0.05 to 0.2 mg/kg produce taste avoidance, but no dose produces an aversion to the taste as measured by the taste reactivity test. These results indicate that LSD, like other rewarding drugs, causes taste avoidance through a mechanism different from that of emetic drugs.
February 17, 2026
Linda A. Parker
Neuroscientist Linda Parker explains the discovery of the brain's own cannabinoid system, called endocannabinoids, and describes how this system functions and interacts with plant-derived cannabis. The book explores the role of the endocannabinoid system in regulating emotion, anxiety, depression, psychosis, learning, memory, feeding, nausea, pain, epilepsy, neurological disorders, and the brain's reward system. It offers a balanced presentation of scientific evidence for the medicinal use of marijuana, providing a timely intervention in debates about cannabis's medicinal value and legal status.
Cannabinoids and the Brain
March 1, 2017
Linda A. Parker
Most people who use marijuana do not develop schizophrenia, but there is a modest association between cannabis exposure, especially in adolescence, and later schizophrenia. Whether this link is causal is debated. This chapter reviews evidence for and against a causal relationship and suggests that individuals with a family history of schizophrenia, prodromal symptoms, or cannabis-related psychotic episodes should avoid THC-predominant marijuana.
Cannabinoids and the Brain
March 1, 2017
Linda A. Parker
Activating CB1 receptors throughout the body interferes with short-term memory and the consolidation of new memories in the hippocampus, but does not impair recall of older, established memories. The acute effects of cannabis on memory depend partly on the type of cannabis used: THC impairs short-term memory and new memory formation, while CBD protects against those impairments. Human evidence on whether chronic cannabis exposure causes permanent changes in learning, memory, or brain functioning in adolescents and adults is conflicting.
Cannabinoids and the Brain
March 1, 2017
Linda A. Parker
The endocannabinoid system plays a key role in regulating emotion, anxiety, and mood. In animal models, THC produces a biphasic effect on anxiety: low doses reduce anxiety by blocking glutamate release, while high doses promote anxiety by blocking GABA release. CBD also reduces anxiety in both preclinical and clinical research, but through a different mechanism. One promising application is for PTSD, where preclinical and small clinical trials suggest that activating the endocannabinoid system may help extinguish aversive memories. The system also regulates the HPA axis, which controls stress hormone release.