Exploring the Antecedents and Consequences of Cannabis Use in the Context of Coping: An Experimental Study
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Recruiting
- Enrollment
- 166
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Blood Cortisol Levels
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of the study is to better understand the effects of cannabis in relation to mental and physical states including its relationship with mood, cognition, perception including the experience of temperature and pain, and heart rate.
We expect that participants will be in this research study for approximately one week. The total amount of time that participants will spend completing study tasks will be about 2.5 hours across two separate in-person visits.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 21 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •21-65 years of age
- •Endorsement of at least some use of cannabis for coping purposes (>1 on CMMQ)
- •Regularly use flower cannabis products (i.e., ≥1x/week in the last 6 months)
- •Proficient in English language
- •At least occasional use of CBD+THC or CBD-dominant products (e.g., ≥1x/month)
Exclusion Criteria
- •Diagnosis or use of medications for substance use or psychotic disorders
- •Report of other drug use (cocaine, opiates, methamphetamine) in the past 90 days or fail urine screen for any of these drugs
- •Females cannot be pregnant or trying to become pregnant or nursing mothers
- •Not able to provide informed consent
Arms & Interventions
Warm Water
Intervention: Water Temperature Variation - WW (Other)
Cold Water
Intervention: Water Temperature Variation - CW (Other)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Blood Cortisol Levels
Time Frame: Pre-Use/Pre-Water Task, 20 minutes Post-Use, 40 minutes Post-Use
Cortisol levels are measured in blood.
Cannabis Used
Time Frame: Immediate Post-Use
Grams of product used is calculated. Product is measured before and after use to measure how much was used.
Blood Endocannabinoid Levels
Time Frame: Pre-Use/Pre-Water Task, 20 minutes Post-Use
Blood levels of AEA are measured.
Heart Rate
Time Frame: Pre-Use/Pre-Water Task, Pre-Use/Post-Water Task, 20 minutes Post-Use
Participant HR is measured via pulse oximeter.
Social Anxiety
Time Frame: Pre-Use/Pre-Water Task
Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS). 20 item survey, questions are answered on scale of 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely), with higher scores indicating higher social anxiety. Questions are summed, with higher overall scores indicating higher social anxiety.
Inhibitory Control
Time Frame: Baseline
Go/No-go Task. Participants are asked to complete a cognitive task where they see the text "Go" or "No go" during different trials. When they see "Go", they need to push a button within 2 seconds. When they see "No-go", they need to make sure they do not press the button (for 2 seconds). This is a measure of impulsivity.
Stress
Time Frame: Pre-Use/Pre-Water Task
Stress Subscale of Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale measures stress. On scale from 0 (does not apply to me at all) to 3 (apply to me very much or most of the time). Higher scores indicate higher stress levels.
Blood cannabinoid levels
Time Frame: Pre-Use/Pre-Water Task, 20 minutes Post-Use
THC and CBD blood levels are measured.
Current Pain
Time Frame: Pre-Use/Pre-Water Task, Pre-Use/Post-Water Task, 20 minutes Post-Use, 40 minutes Post-Use
Internal scale/measure, measured from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable). Participants report current pain on this self-report scale.
Mood
Time Frame: Pre-Use/Pre-Water Task, Pre-Use/Post-Water Task, 20 minutes Post-Use, 40 minutes Post-Use
Profile of Mood States (POMS). Focus on the stress, anxiety, tension, and relaxation questions (combined for a tension/anxiety subscale). Questions are on a scale 1 (not at all) to 5 (extremely). Scores are summed, with higher scores indicating more tension/anxiety.
Secondary Outcomes
No secondary outcomes reported
Investigators
Carillon Skrzynski
Research Assistant Professor
University of Colorado, Boulder