The altered state of consciousness induced by Δ9-THC.
Conscious Cogn May 28, 2022 Conor H. Murray, Bhargav Srinivasa-Desikan 20 citations
THC, the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, produces altered states of consciousness that share features with those induced by classical psychedelics. In 25 healthy, infrequent cannabis users, oral doses of 7.5 and 15 mg THC dose-dependently increased measures of altered states, including insightfulness, mindfulness, and mind-wandering, and increased language entropy, a pattern previously reported with LSD. The findings suggest overlapping neurophysiological mechanisms between THC and psychedelics, but future work must determine whether reported increases in mindfulness or insight reflect genuine enhancement of conscious awareness or a psychotomimetic state such as delusional thinking.