Cannabis Produces Transient Psychosis-Like Effects

Several studies have demonstrated that the primary active constituent of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol induces transient psychosis-like effects in healthy subjects similar to those observed in schizophrenia. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not clear.

A new study reports that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol increases random neural activity, termed neural noise, in the brains of healthy human subjects. The findings suggest that increased neural noise may play a role in the psychosis-like effects of cannabis.

The investigators studied the effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolon electrical brain activity in 24 human subjects who participated in a three-day study during which they received two doses of intravenous delta-9-THC or placebo in a double-blind, randomized, cross-over, and counterbalanced design.

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