5 notable studies on cannabis in 2022

If research on independent effects of THC and CBD remains the focus of most cannabis studies, there is growing interest in commercially available cannabis products, whole-plant extracts and the effects of terpenes on brain function. Here are 5 notable cannabis studies from 2022 research.

CBD oil improves key social symptoms in people with autism

For several years Israeli scientists conduct clinical trials which reveal promising results for a cannabis oil with 20:1 CBD and THC on many secondary symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, such as improved sleep, reduced anxiety, fewer rage attacks and reduced self-injurious behavior.

The aim is not to cure autism, but to facilitate better engagement and promote better life skills so that children can eventually be more independent.

The results of these clinical trials show that cannabis also improves basic social communication skills and stimulates daily living skills, such as dressing, eating and cleaning, in children and adolescents. Although these benefits did not extend to other core symptoms such as restricted and repetitive behaviors, this study highlights the potential of cannabis to improve the quality of life of people with autism spectrum disorders.

The benefits of cannabis on the aging adult brain

Communication between different brain regions changes with age, contributing to age-related memory impairment and cognitive decline. Scientists in Colorado have used functional neuroimaging to assess how the regular cannabis use (at least once a week) in adults over 60 altered the communication between several brain regions that normally declines with age.

They found that older adults who regularly used cannabis showed stronger communication patterns between three brain regions - the hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus and cerebellum - compared with older adults who did not use cannabis. The stronger connectivity in older cannabis users resembled that of much younger, non-using adults, and suggests that cannabis may protect against some age-related declines in brain function.

Although these results are not causal in nature, as this was not a randomized controlled experiment, they do represent some of the first human evidence to replicate observations made in rodent studies that small amounts of cannabis consumed regularly protect against age-related brain changes and cognitive decline.

THC and CBD don't tell the whole story about the effects of cannabis

Commercial cannabis products are usually labeled with their THC and CBD content to provide some predictive measure of how they will create effects and impact when consumed. As it turns out, this information is not sufficient to make an accurate prediction.

A recent study showed that oral consumption of an oil labeled «indica» reduced the amount of effort the animals were willing to put in to obtain a significant reward - basically, it made them lazy. By contrast, a «sativa» oil, despite having the same THC and CBD content, had no effect.

These results show that the levels of THC and CBD, as well as the indica and sativa classifications, are not the only factors to be taken into account when predicting the effects of cannabis consumption. Other minor cannabinoids and terpenes are also important.

CBD does not necessarily make THC «weaker».»

CBD is said to mitigate the negative effects of THC. Products with a higher CBD/THC ratio are thus presented as causing fewer THC-related negative effects. Researchers carried out a double-blind experiment on 46 cannabis consumers and ultimately found that this assumption could be inaccurate.

In their studies, Volcano vaporized cannabis flowers containing ratios of 1:1, 2:1 or 3:1 CBD to 10 mg THC showed no different effects. CBD levels also had no impact on the effects of THC, including the sensation of getting high, alterations in working memory and long-term memory, increased pleasant responses to music and chocolate, or effects on a range of physiological measures, including blood pressure and heart rate.

These results indicate that the inclusion of CBD in THC-based products at a common recreational level may not have a protective effect against some of THC's adverse effects. Even higher CBD:THC ratios may perhaps be effective, but the safest strategy for avoiding the potentially adverse effects of THC is to limit the dose rather than mask it with CBD.

Terpenes, not THC content, are the best indicators of product quality

A recent study by Arianne Wilson-Poe revealed that terpenes exert a subjective appeal and determine the desirability of a flower or cannabis product for smoking. Scientists tested the attractiveness of a cannabis product to an individual with a range of THC potencies (from less than 0.3 % to over 30 %) in nearly 300 people across thousands of consumption sessions.

With the increase in THC potency in commercially available products, one might expect THC potency to correlate directly with a product's overall appeal, but this is not the case - there was no relationship between THC potency, total cannabis dose or total THC dose and subjective appeal. On the contrary, only aroma, which comes from terpenes, was directly correlated with individuals' attractiveness scores.

As a result, the smell of a product, sometimes difficult to hide, is a better predictor of pleasure than THC content. These results underline the importance of terpenes in the quality of a product, and indicate that you don't need to be excessively high to enjoy a pleasurable experience.