Machine learning classifiers distinguished between Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica cultivars based on user-reported flavours and subjective effects with high accuracy. Analysis of a large dataset from Leafly.com and chemical composition data from Psilabs.org revealed significant correlations between terpene and cannabinoid content and subjective effect and flavour tags. Reported effects clustered into three groups: unpleasant, stimulant, and soothing. Terpene profiles matched user perceptual characterizations, particularly for terpene-flavours associations. The findings suggest that flavour perception could serve as a reliable marker to indirectly characterize cannabis psychoactive effects, as terpene content is robustly inherited and less influenced by environmental factors.
Dabbing, a method of vaporizing cannabis concentrates, produces higher blood THC concentrations and stronger subjective drug effects than smoking flower products via joints or bongs, though the intense intoxication fades more quickly. Vaping also shows a rapid decline in subjective effects. These findings come from a secondary analysis of two quasi-experimental studies with 252 participants who used their own legal-market cannabis products in a naturalistic setting. The results highlight that the mode of administration substantially influences THC exposure and the experience of intoxication, and future research should account for these differences.
Daily cannabis users show less impairment in reaction time and short-term memory after smoking than occasional users, suggesting they develop tolerance to some acute effects. In a tablet-based test battery, occasional users slowed down and remembered fewer shapes after smoking cannabis with 15–30% THC, while daily users did not differ from non-users on those measures. On a gap-acceptance decision task, daily users took longer after smoking but maintained accuracy, possibly prioritizing correctness over speed. The findings indicate that tolerance to certain psychomotor and cognitive effects can develop with daily use, and that tablet-based assessments may help detect recent cannabis impairment.