The impact of cannabidiol placebo on amygdala-based neural responses to an acute stressor.

Background: Cannabidiol (CBD) impacts brain regions implicated in anxiety reactivity and stress reactivity (e.g., amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), anterior insula (AI)); however, placebo-controlled studies are mixed regarding CBD's anxiolytic effects.

The impact of cannabidiol placebo on responses to an acute stressor: A replication and proof of concept study.

Background: Our group has previously reported that cannabidiol (CBD) expectancy alone blunts markers of stress, particularly during anticipation, but it is not clear the extent to which such findings were specific to the methods utilized.

Aims: To examine CBD-related placebo effects on stress reactivity and anticipation and to validate a protocol to be used in a neuroimaging study.

Methods: Forty-eight healthy adults (24 female) were randomly assigned to be informed that they ingested a CBD-containing oil or a CBD-free oil despite receiving the same oil (CBD-free).

The Impact of Cannabidiol Expectancy on Cortisol Responsivity in the Context of Acute Stress: Associations with Biological Sex.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant, has gained interest for its purported stress- and anxiety-reducing effects. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Our group previously found that CBD expectancy alone resulted in lower state anxiety (vs.

Do we really need two sessions?: The use of a structured interview as a trauma cue reactivity paradigm.

Objectives: Derived from classical conditioning theory and rooted in motivational mechanisms, cue reactivity paradigms (CRPs) are used in addictions research to measure participants' propensities for substance-relevant responses (e.g., craving) during exposure to substance-relevant cues (e.

The four-factor personality model and its qualitative correlates among opioid agonist therapy clients.

Background: The Four Factor Personality Vulnerability model identifies four specific personality traits (e.g., sensation seeking [SS], impulsivity [IMP], anxiety sensitivity [AS], and hopelessness [HOP]) as implicated in substance use behaviors, motives for substance use, and co-occurring psychiatric conditions.

Investigating predictors of problematic alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine use among legal users of all three substances.

Background: The three most used substances-alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine-are frequently concurrently. Use of each substance has been connected to an increased probability of use of the other substances, and the problematic use of each substance has been linked to demographic factors, substance use factors, and personality. However, little is known about which risk factors are most important for consumers of all three substances.

1-(Hex-5-en-1-yl)-4-{[3-methyl-2,3-di-hydro-1,3-benzo-thia-zol-2-yl-idene]meth-yl}quinolin-1-ium iodide monohydrate.

The title thia-zole orange derivative, bearing an alkene substituent, crystallized as a monohydrate of its iodide salt, namely, ()-1-(hex-5-en-1-yl)-4-{[3-methyl-2,3-di-hydro-1,3-benzo-thia-zol-2-yl-idene]meth-yl}quinolin-1-ium iodide monohydrate, CHNS·I·HO. The packing features aromatic π-stacking and van der Waals inter-actions. The water mol-ecule of crystallization inter-acts with the cation and anion O-H⋯N and O-H⋯I hydrogen bonds, respectively.

Perceptions about THC and CBD effects among adults with and without prior cannabis experience.

Background: Cannabis is associated with a range of therapeutic and non-therapeutic, positive and negative effects. While some benefits and harms may be specific to individual cannabinoid constituents (THC, CBD), individual expectancies may also play a role.

Objectives: Evaluate the extent to which individuals hold expectancies about the effects of CBD, THC, and THC & CBD combined, and whether this differs with prior cannabis experience.

Dual users' perceptions of the addictive properties of cigarettes versus E-cigarettes.

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes ("e-cigarettes") are commonly promoted as a less-harmful alternative to combustible cigarettes, yet many individuals concurrently use both products ("dual users"). Little is known about the extent to which dual users' perceptions of the addictive properties of these products differ, or to what extent there are differences in the factors that elicit craving for each product.

Methods: An online survey evaluated beliefs about the addictive properties of cigarettes vs e-cigarettes and the situational and affective precipitants of product craving, on a scale from 1 to 10, in a sample of Canadian adults that reported past-month use of combustible and e-cigarettes (N = 175; 79 female).

Different drugs come with different motives: Examining motives for substance use among people who engage in polysubstance use undergoing methadone maintenance therapy (MMT).

Background: Substance use motives (i.e., reasons for using a substance) are thought to be the most proximal variable leading to substance use.

Craving and emotional responses to trauma and cannabis cues in trauma-exposed cannabis users: Influence of PTSD symptom severity.

Conditioned craving to trauma cues and avoidance learning have both been implicated in the high concurrence of trauma-related distress and substance misuse. Using a cue-exposure paradigm involving personalized trauma, cannabis, and neutral cues, we examined if conditioned craving and/or elevated negative affect to trauma cues are mechanisms linking PTSD and cannabis use disorder. Fifty-one trauma-exposed cannabis users were randomly presented the three cue types.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Coping Motives are Independently Associated with Cannabis Craving Elicited by Trauma Cues.

Cannabis use is common among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although its use can ultimately worsen PTSD outcomes. Cannabis-use coping motives may help explain the PTSD-cannabis relationship. Frequent pairing of trauma cues with substance use to cope with negative affect can lead to conditioned substance craving.

The impacts of caffeine administration, expectancies, and related stimuli on coffee craving, withdrawal, and self-administration.

Background: Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance, yet its potential reinforcing properties have been understudied.

Aims: This study examined the impact of caffeine administration and expectancy on coffee-related craving, withdrawal, and cue reactivity via a balanced-placebo design.

Methods: Following 18-h caffeine abstinence, 65 daily coffee consumers (54% male) received either caffeine-containing (100 mg) or placebo gum, along with either accurate or inaccurate information regarding the gum's caffeine content.

Evaluating cannabidiol (CBD) expectancy effects on acute stress and anxiety in healthy adults: a randomized crossover study.

Rationale: Cannabidiol (CBD) has been reported to attenuate stress and anxiety, but little is known about the extent to which such effects result from pharmacological versus expectancy factors.

Objectives: We evaluated whether CBD expectancy alone could influence stress, anxiety, and mood, and the extent to which beliefs regarding CBD effects predicted these responses.

Methods: In this randomized crossover study, 43 health adults (23 women) attended two experimental laboratory sessions, where they self-administered CBD-free hempseed oil sublingually.

The relative impact of acute nicotine and tobacco administration on craving, withdrawal, and cigarette self-administration in dependent and nondependent smokers.

Negative reinforcement mechanisms, wherein individuals smoke at regular intervals to ameliorate craving and withdrawal, are integral to persistent smoking. This is consistent with the behavior of dependent smokers but does not fully account for the behavior of intermittent smokers, who do not smoke enough to maintain steady nicotine levels. This study examined the independent and combined impacts of nicotine and tobacco consumption on cigarette craving, withdrawal, and subsequent smoking behavior in 18 nondependent light and intermittent smokers (LITS) and 23 daily, dependent smokers (DDS).

The impacts of actual and perceived nicotine administration on insula functional connectivity with the anterior cingulate cortex and nucleus accumbens.

Background: Changes in resting state functional connectivity between the insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex as well as between the insula and nucleus accumbens have been linked to nicotine withdrawal and/or administration. However, because many of nicotine's effects in humans appear to depend, at least in part, on the belief that nicotine has been administered, the relative contribution of nicotine's pharmacological actions to such effects requires clarification.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of perceived and actual nicotine administration on neural responses.

Non-pharmacological Considerations in Human Research of Nicotine and Tobacco Effects: A Review.

Unlabelled: Human research of nicotine and tobacco effects demonstrates that non-pharmacological factors may systematically affect responses to administered substances and inert placebos. Failure to measure or manipulate these factors may compromise study reliability and validity. This is especially relevant for double-blind placebo-controlled research of nicotine, tobacco, and related substances.

Context matters: Characteristics of solitary versus social cannabis use.

Introduction And Aims: Given the increase in cannabis availability and use in North America, identification of risk factors for cannabis use and dependence is paramount. One factor that may be associated with various cannabis-related adverse outcomes is the context in which it is used. This secondary analysis study sought to examine the extent to which the social context of cannabis use is related to patterns of use and associated harms.

Testing the PPAR hypothesis of tobacco use disorder in humans: A randomized trial of the impact of gemfibrozil (a partial PPARα agonist) in smokers.

Unlabelled: Previous pre-clinical studies demonstrated a promising role of alpha-type peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARα) agonists in decreasing nicotine self-administration and nicotine-seeking behavior in animals. Our goal was to investigate the potential of gemfibrozil, a PPARα agonist, on reducing tobacco smoking in humans.

Methods: This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study evaluating the effects of gemfibrozil (1200 mg/day) on smoking in 27 treatment-seeking smokers.

Quit Intentions Moderate Subjective and Physiological Responses to Acute Nicotine Replacement Therapy Administration in Dependent Smokers.

Introduction: This study assessed the impact of expectancy and administration components of acute nicotine inhaler use on craving, heart rate, and smoking behavior in smokers with varying intentions to quit.

Methods: 47 dependent smokers that differed in self-reported intention to quit (no intention to quit during the next month N = 26 vs. intention to initiate a quit attempt within 2 weeks N = 21) were randomly administered a 4 mg nicotine or nicotine-free inhaler across two sessions.

Does acute tobacco smoking prevent cue-induced craving?

Background: Smoking cessation aids appear to be limited in their ability to prevent craving triggered by exposure to smoking-associated stimuli; however, the extent to which cue-induced cravings persist following denicotinized or nicotine-containing tobacco smoking is not known.

Methods: Thirty (17 male) ⩾12-hour abstinent dependent smokers completed two sessions during which they smoked a nicotine-containing or denicotinized cigarette. Instructions regarding the nicotine content of the cigarette varied across sessions, and all participants were exposed to a neutral cue followed by a smoking cue after cigarette consumption.

The impact of social context on cigarette self-administration in nondependent smokers.

Tobacco use in nondependent smokers (i.e. chippers) is believed to be largely determined by situational factors including social context.