Abstract Introduction: Studies show that acute cannabis use significantly increases heart rate (HR) and mildly raises blood pressure in the minutes following smoked or inhaled use of cannabis. However, less is known about how the THC concentration of the product or an individual’s frequency of use (i.e., tolerance) may affect the magnitude of the change in HR. It is also relatively unexamined how the physical effects of increased HR after acute cannabis use relate to self-reported drug effects or blood THC levels. Aims: To describe the relationship between THC concentration of product used, self-reported subjective intoxication, THC blood levels, and frequency of cannabis use...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background and aims Recreational cannabis legalization has made high-potency cannabis products more readily available, raising public health concerns. While price-based taxes are common, potency-based taxes have been adopted as a potentially more effective approach to mitigate the harms associated with high-potency cannabis consumption. This study aimed to estimate and compare the effects of price- and potency-based taxes on cannabis purchase patterns. Design In May 2024, we conducted an online Experimental Cannabis Marketplace experiment, where cannabis products varied in product categories, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels, and prices. Participants completed hypothetical purchase sessions with varying tax rates and...

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Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background Simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis—or use of both substances so effects overlap—is common among college-attending young adults and can heighten one's likelihood of experiencing substance-related harms in daily life. Limited ecological momentary assessment and daily diary work have examined the role of subjective intoxication and subjective effects when engaging in simultaneous relative to alcohol- or cannabis-only use, and studies have yielded mixed results. As such, subjective experiences serve as important internal cues for decision making; this study aimed to examine the level of subjective intoxication and effects across simultaneous, alcohol-only, and cannabis-only occasions....

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Hypokalemia is a relatively common reason for admission from the Emergency Department, with cannabinoid utilization being a more rare, indirect cause, as excessive use can lead to vomiting and diarrhea. More recently, there has been growing interest in the possible association between cannabis use and hypokalemia, even in the absence of gastrointestinal (GI) losses. This case involves a 24-year-old female with a history of anxiety, depression, and heavy cannabis use, who presented to the Emergency Department with bilateral lower extremity weakness and medial leg pain for two days. She was found to have an initial...

Abstract Background: Clinical trials are underway of medicinal cannabis for cancer-related anorexia, using various formulations and modes of administration. Objectives: To explore the benefits and burdens of vaporized medicinal cannabis flower bud for anorexia from the perspectives of trial participants with advanced cancer and their carers. Design: People with advanced cancer enrolled as inpatients in a Phase I/IIb clinical trial, and their carers participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Analysis used the framework method. Setting: Inpatient specialist palliative care. Results: Ten out of 12 trial participants and 6 carers were interviewed. All perceived benefits to eating but, in two cases, this arose from reduced nausea...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Operant conditioning and social learning theories suggest that positive cannabis use–related outcomes are a primary contributor to maintained use and risk for dependence. However, currently there does not exist a reliable, validated measure of positive cannabis-related outcomes. This study sought to develop and psychometrically evaluate the Positive Outcomes of Cannabis Use Scale (POCUS). We collected three samples, college students (N = 883), community adults (N = 214), and college students (N = 615), of predominantly White adults in the United States who completed an online survey. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses evaluated scale structure and identified four factors:...

Abstract Objective: Cannabis has been touted for a host of pharmacological and therapeutic effects and users commonly report reduced symptoms of physical and mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. While there is existing empirical evidence supporting these effects of cannabis use, little is known about the extent to which these effects result from pharmacological versus expectancy factors. We evaluated the associations between participants' cannabis expectancies and their acute self-reported reactions after using legal market forms of cannabis with varying levels of cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in three domains: anxiety, depression, and pain. Methods: Fifty-five flower and 101 edible cannabis users...

Abstract Background Similar to drink driving, the prevalence of driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) is expected to depend on the availability and cost of cannabis which would impact cannabis use in both drivers and passengers, and factors that specifically target cannabis use in drivers such as the deterrent effect of traffic laws and driver’s opinion about the risks and acceptability of DUIC. To disentangle these effects, we aimed to compare the prevalence of alcohol and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) detection 1) in drivers vs. passengers involved in motor vehicle accidents and 2) in drivers and passengers from BC vs. Ontario. Methods Chart review and...