Cannabidiol does not attenuate acute delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol-induced attentional bias in healthy volunteers: A randomised, double-blind, cross-over study

Authors

Dominic Oliver, Amir Englund, Edward Chesney, Lucy Chester, Jack Wilson, Simina Sovi, Stina Wigroth, John Hodsoll, John Strang, Robin M. Murray, Tom P. Freeman, Paolo Fusar-Poli, Philip McGuire


Published

August 30, 2023

Abstract

Aims: To test how attentional bias and explicit liking are influenced by delta- 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and whether these effects are moderated by cannabidiol (CBD).

Design: Double-blind, randomised, within-subjects cross-over study.

Setting: NIHR Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility at King’s College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.

Participants/Cases: Forty-six infrequent cannabis users (cannabis use <1 per week).

Intervention(s): Across four sessions, participants inhaled vaporised cannabis containing 10 mg of THC and either 0 mg (0:1 CBD:THC), 10 mg (1:1), 20 mg (2:1) or 30 mg (3:1) of CBD, administered in a randomised order and counter-balanced across participants (a total of 24 order groups).

Measurements: Participants completed two tasks: (1) Attentional Bias (AB), comparing reaction times toward visual probes presented behind 28 target stimuli (cannabis/food) compared with probes behind corresponding non-target (neutral) stimuli. Participants responding more quickly to probes behind target than non-target stimuli would indicate greater attentional bias to cannabis/food; (2) Picture Rating (PR), where all AB stimuli were rated on a 7-point pleasantness scale, measuring explicit liking.

Findings: During the AB task, participants were more biased toward cannabis stimuli in the 0:1 condition compared with baseline (mean difference = 12.2, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] = 1.20–23.3, d = 0.41, P = 0.03). No other significant AB or PR differences were found between cannabis and food stimuli between baseline and 0:1 condition (P > 0.05). No significant CBD effect was found on AB or PR task performance at any dose (P > 0.05). There was additionally no cumulative effect of THC exposure on AB or PR outcomes (P > 0.05).

DOI: 10.1111/add.16353

Citations

Oliver, D., Englund, A., Chesney, E., Chester, L., Wilson, J., Sovi, S., … & McGuire, P. (2024). Cannabidiol does not attenuate acute delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol‐induced attentional bias in healthy volunteers: A randomised, double‐blind, cross‐over study. Addiction, 119(2), 322-333.