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Acute effects of THC on time perception in frequent and infrequent cannabis users

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Abstract

Rationale

Cannabinoids have been shown to alter time perception, but existing literature has several limitations. Few studies have included both time estimation and production tasks, few control for subvocal counting, most had small sample sizes, some did not record subjects’ cannabis use, many tested only one dose, and used either oral or inhaled administration of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), leading to variable pharmacokinetics, and some used whole-plant cannabis containing cannabinoids other than THC. Our study attempted to address these limitations.

Objectives

This study aims to characterize the acute effects of THC and frequent cannabis use on seconds-range time perception. THC was hypothesized to produce transient, dose-related time overestimation and underproduction. Frequent cannabis smokers were hypothesized to show blunted responses to these alterations.

Methods

IV THC was administered at doses from 0.015 to 0.05 mg/kg to 44 subjects who participated in several double-blind, randomized, counterbalanced, crossover, placebo-controlled studies. Visual time estimation and production tasks in the seconds range were presented to subjects three times on each test day.

Results

All doses induced time overestimation and underproduction. Chronic cannabis use had no effect on baseline time perception. While infrequent/nonsmokers showed temporal overestimation at medium and high doses and temporal underproduction at all doses, frequent cannabis users showed no differences. THC effects on time perception were not dose related.

Conclusions

A psychoactive dose of THC increases internal clock speed as indicated by time overestimation and underproduction. This effect is not dose related and is blunted in chronic cannabis smokers who did not otherwise have altered baseline time perception.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge support from the (1) Department of Veterans Affairs, (2) National Institute of Mental Health, (3) National Institute of Drug Abuse, (4) National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) and (5) the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI). This research project was funded in part by grants from NIH (R01 DA012382, R21 DA020750, R21 MH086769, R21 AA016311 to DCD). The authors also thank Angelina Genovese, R.N.C., M.B.A.; Michelle San Pedro, R.N.; Elizabeth O’Donnell, R.N.; Brenda Breault, R.N., B.S.N.; Sonah Yoo, R.Ph.; Rachel Galvan, R.Ph.; and Willie Ford of the Neurobiological Studies Unit at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven Campus for their central contributions to the success of this project. The experiments comply with the current laws of the USA.

Funding and Conflict of Interest

The authors wish to acknowledge support from the (1) Department of Veterans Affairs, (2) National Institute of Mental Health, (3) National Institute of Drug Abuse, (4) National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) and (5) the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI). This research project was funded in part by grants from NIH (R01 DA012382, R21 DA020750, R21 MH086769, R21 AA016311 to DCD). Patrick Skosnik, Ashley Williams, Ashley Schnakenberg, Rajiv Radhakrishnan, Brian Pittman, and R. Andrew Sewell report no financial relationships with commercial interests. Mohini Ranganathan has in the past three years and currently receives research grant support administered through Yale University School of Medicine from Eli Lilly Inc. Deepak Cyril D’Souza has in the past three years and currently receives research grant support administered through Yale University School of Medicine from Astra Zeneca, Abbott Laboratories, Eli Lilly Inc., Organon, Pfizer Inc., and Sanofi; he is also a consultant for Bristol Meyers Squibb.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    R. Andrew Sewell, Ashley Schnakenberg, Jacqueline Elander, Rajiv Radhakrishnan, Ashley Williams, Patrick D. Skosnik, Brian Pittman, Mohini Ranganathan & D. Cyril D’Souza

  2. VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 116A, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA

    R. Andrew Sewell, Ashley Schnakenberg, Jacqueline Elander, Rajiv Radhakrishnan, Ashley Williams, Patrick D. Skosnik, Mohini Ranganathan & D. Cyril D’Souza

  3. Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    R. Andrew Sewell, Ashley Schnakenberg, Jacqueline Elander, Rajiv Radhakrishnan, Ashley Williams, Patrick D. Skosnik, Brian Pittman, Mohini Ranganathan & D. Cyril D’Souza

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  1. R. Andrew Sewell
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Correspondence to R. Andrew Sewell.

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Sewell, R.A., Schnakenberg, A., Elander, J. et al. Acute effects of THC on time perception in frequent and infrequent cannabis users. Psychopharmacology 226, 401–413 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-012-2915-6

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