Researchers from University College London (UCL) found no difference in the effects of THC and CBD on regular cannabis users of different ages.
The observational study examined 24 adolescent participants (16-17 years old) and 24 adult participants (26-29 years old), all of whom were already regular users of cannabis.
Over the course of three weeks, the participants inhaled three types of vaporised cannabis under close supervision in a clinical setting. The participants were given either a placebo, a strain of cannabis high in THC, (the main psychoactive component of cannabis) or a high-CBD and high-THC form of cannabis. There were administered in doses typical for recreational use.
The participants were asked to report on how each strain of cannabis affected them at regular intervals. They also completed verbal memory tests and tests which measured the psychoactive effects of THC, such as delusions, cognitive disorganisation or paranoia.
Adults and adolescents are equally vulnerable to the negative effects of cannabis
The researchers observed all the expected effects of THC and CBD in the participants’ responses. These included feeling high, feeling anxious, having mild transient psychotic-like experiences, and memory impairment. They found no evidence that the effects of THC or CBD differed between adults and adolescents.
“Immediately following consumption, cannabis can elicit psychotic-like effects, and…
