People who use cannabis expect that a cannabis-assisted psychotherapy session, modeled on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, would reduce depression. Over 500 participants in each of two studies imagined such a session and reported expected antidepressant effects. Expected reductions in depression were linked to anticipated psychedelic-like subjective experiences, such as mystical-type feelings, and also to expected changes in dysfunctional attitudes—a separate pathway that resembles how cognitive therapy works. These findings support calls for clinical trials of cannabis-assisted psychotherapy and indicate that users anticipate it would work through mechanisms similar to both psychedelics and cognitive therapy.
Cannabis beverages, legalized in Canada in 2019, produce different acute and long-term effects than dried flower or edible products due to distinct absorption and processing in the body. A systematic review of 29 studies found that healthy, infrequent users experienced aversive subjective and physiological effects after consuming cannabis beverages. Many products also had inaccurate cannabinoid labeling, posing consumer risks. The research highlights the limited and inconsistent evidence on cannabis beverages, compounded by the wide variety of formulations, and underscores the need for more direct studies on their safety and effects.
Cannabis acutely worsened cognitive control and produced more aversive intoxication in cannabis users at clinical high-risk for psychosis, but not in psychiatrically-healthy cannabis users. Six high-risk and six healthy users smoked either active (5.5% THC) or placebo cannabis under double-blind conditions. High-risk participants showed decreased response inhibition and aversive intoxication after active cannabis, along with changes in psychomotor speed and cannabis-related attentional bias. No such effects appeared in healthy users. The findings provide preliminary evidence of a deleterious cognitive and reward-related response to cannabis in individuals with preexisting psychosis risk.