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- All Subjects: Cannabis
- Creators: Meier, Madeline H
Description
There is a robust association between psychosis and cannabis use, but the mechanisms underlying this relation are poorly understood. Because both psychosis and cannabis use have been linked to cardiovascular problems, it is possible that cannabis use exacerbates an underlying vascular vulnerability in individuals prone to psychosis. To investigate microvascular differences in individuals with psychotic symptoms and cannabis use, the current study tested associations between psychotic-like experiences, cannabis use, and retinal vessel diameter in 101 young adults (mean age=19.37 years [SD=1.93]). Retinal venular diameter did not differ between participants with (M=218.08, SD=15.09) and without psychotic-like experiences (M=216.61, SD=16.18) (F(1, 97)=0.01, p=.93) or between cannabis users (M=218.41, SD=14.31) and non-users (M=216.95, SD=16.26) (F(1, 97)=0.37, p=.54). Likewise, mean retinal arteriolar diameter did not differ between participants with (M=157.07, SD=10.96) and without psychotic-like experiences (M=154.88, SD=9.03) (F(1, 97)=0.00, p=.97). However, cannabis users had statistically significantly wider retinal arterioles (M=159.10, SD=9.94) than did non-users (M=154.29, SD=10.20) (F(1, 97)=5.99, p=.016), and this effect was robust to control for covariates. There was no evidence of an interaction between psychotic-like experiences and cannabis use in predicting retinal vessel diameter. These results indicate that cannabis use is associated with microvascular differences in young adulthood. Given current trends toward legalization of recreational cannabis use, future research should explore these differences and their potential consequences for cardiovascular health.
ContributorsHill, Melanie (Author) / Meier, Madeline H (Thesis advisor) / Karoly, Paul (Committee member) / Brewer, Gene (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
With the growing popularity of medical cannabis, and high rates of cannabis use disorder (CUD) among medical cannabis users, it is more important than ever to accurately identify the proximal antecedents and subjective effects of medical cannabis use. Subjective antecedents and effects have been proposed as key mechanisms underlying the transition from cannabis use to CUD, but little research has examined medical cannabis users’ experiences in real-time, real-world settings. The current study of 86 young-adult medical cannabis users ages 18-30 (32.6% female) used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to characterize the antecedents and effects of medical cannabis use, and to examine whether these antecedents and effects vary as a function of CUD severity. Higher craving, pain, and withdrawal symptoms predicted greater odds of cannabis use at the next report, and lower subjective ‘high’ predicted greater odds of cannabis use at the next report. Use of medical cannabis was associated with increases in positive affect, stimulation, relaxation, and subjective ‘high’, decreases in negative affect, withdrawal symptoms, craving, and pain, and increases in cognitive problems, psychotic-like experiences, and adverse bodily effects. Further, following cannabis use, medical users with more CUD symptoms reported greater relief from craving, attenuated increases in stimulation and relaxation, and enhanced increases in sluggishness, cognitive problems, psychotic-like symptoms, and bodily symptoms. Results suggest that medical cannabis use, like recreational use, is associated with a wide range of subjective antecedents and effects, and that relief from cannabis craving may play an important role in the maintenance of CUD among medical users.
ContributorsJones, Connor (Author) / Meier, Madeline H (Thesis advisor) / Chassin, Laurie (Committee member) / Grimm, Kevin J (Committee member) / Corbin, William (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Background: Hash oil, a cannabis preparation that contains ultra-high concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is quickly gaining popularity in the United States. Some evidence suggests that hash oil might produce greater intoxication and more severe negative effects than marijuana. This study examined whether the subjective effects of hash oil are more extreme than the subjective effects of marijuana and whether frequency of hash oil use is associated with the subjective effects of marijuana and hash oil. Method: Past-year cannabis users (n = 1,268) were recruited online to complete a questionnaire about the subjective effects of cannabis. Participants who reported past-year use of both hash oil and marijuana (n = 574) rated subjective effects of each type of cannabis in the following positive and negative domains: positive affect, cognitive enhancement, negative affect, cognitive impairment, physiological effects, reduced consciousness, and psychotic-like experiences. Results: Results of within-person comparisons showed that hash oil was rated as producing lesser positive effects (Hash oil: M = 4.53, Marijuana: M = 5.55, t = 14.67, p < .001) than marijuana. Negative effects of hash oil were minimal for the full sample (n = 574) and for both frequent and infrequent hash oil users. In general, the frequency of hash oil use was not associated with the subjective effects of marijuana but more frequent hash oil use was associated with rating hash oil as producing greater positive effects ( = 0.28, t = 6.86, p < .001) and lesser negative effects ( = -0.16, t = -3.83, p < .001). Findings were unchanged after controlling for sex, medical cannabis use, and frequency of marijuana use.
Conclusions: Hash oil produced lesser positive effects than marijuana. Negative effects of hash oil were minimal, suggesting that extreme negative effects may be unlikely for experienced cannabis users.
Conclusions: Hash oil produced lesser positive effects than marijuana. Negative effects of hash oil were minimal, suggesting that extreme negative effects may be unlikely for experienced cannabis users.
ContributorsOkey, Sarah Arlene (Author) / Meier, Madeline H (Thesis advisor) / Corbin, William R. (Committee member) / Doane, Leah D (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019