Cannabis and consciousness : an investigation into the effects of cannabis on thought content and dynamics

Introduction: More than a quarter of Canadian adults report using recreational cannabis, with nearly 50% of young adults aged 20-24 reporting having tried cannabis in the previous year. The frequent use of recreational cannabis highlights the importance of understanding the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying cannabis use. To date, cannabis research has largely focused on its adverse effects on executive functioning and memory. However, this research has failed to characterize the enjoyable cognitive effects that constitute why people continue to use cannabis. The current research aims to explore the experience of cannabis, using multiple methodologies to elucidate the phenomenological alterations of thought due to acute cannabis use. Method: To investigate the alterations in conscious experience elicited by cannabis, this research employed self-report measures, the Think Aloud Paradigm, and the Free Association Semantic Task. Participants identified as regular cannabis users, having used cannabis at least once a week over the prior three months (n = 98), completed two 60-minute remote experimental sessions following the Naturalistic Cannabis Administration Protocol, one sober and one immediately following the inhalation of cannabis. Results: Through the use of convergent methodologies, cannabis has been found to alter thought content and dynamics in regular cannabis users. While stoned, participants reported their thoughts as more positive and novel, with enhanced visual imagery. Participants also said more positive words while verbalizing unprompted thoughts and had more positive associations in response to negative cues while stoned. Semantic networks demonstrated that cannabis reduces the breadth of topics and results in deeper engagement with central themes, contrary to the subjective reports of less connection between subsequent thoughts. Conclusions: These findings suggest that cannabis elicits a more narrowed and embodied experience, with heightened engagement with thoughts providing novel perspectives, which are deemed enjoyable by stoners. These effects begin to elucidate what it is about the experience of cannabis that results in continued recreational use of cannabis.