Executive functions and behavioral economic demand for cannabis among young adults: Indirect associations with cannabis consumption and cannabis use disorder
| dc.contributor.author | Coelho, Sophie | |
| dc.contributor.author | Hendershot, Christian | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ashton, Elizabeth | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ruocco, Anthony | |
| dc.contributor.author | Quilty, Lena C. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Tyndale, Rachel | |
| dc.contributor.author | Wardell, Jeffrey | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-05-22T19:41:23Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-05-22T19:41:23Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description | ©American Psychological Association, 2024. This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the APA journal. The final article is available, upon publication, at: https://doi.org/10.1037/pha0000678 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Behavioral economic demand for cannabis is robustly associated with cannabis consumption and cannabis use disorder (CUD). However, few studies have examined the processes underlying individual differences in the relative valuation of cannabis (i.e., demand). This study examined associations between executive functions and cannabis demand among young adults who use cannabis. We also examined indirect associations of executive functions with cannabis consumption and CUD symptoms through cannabis demand. Young adults (N = 113; 58.4% female; mean age 22 years) completed a Marijuana Purchase Task. Participants also completed cognitive tasks assessing executive functions (set shifting, inhibitory control, working memory) and semistructured interviews assessing past 90-day cannabis consumption (number of grams used) and number of CUD symptoms. Poorer inhibitory control was significantly associated with greater Omax (peak expenditure on cannabis) and greater intensity (cannabis consumption at zero cost). Poorer working memory was significantly associated with lower elasticity (sensitivity of consumption to escalating cost). Lower inhibitory control was indirectly associated with greater cannabis consumption and CUD symptoms through greater Omax and intensity, and poorer working memory was indirectly associated with greater cannabis consumption and CUD symptoms through reduced elasticity. This study provides novel evidence that executive functions are associated with individual differences in cannabis demand. Moreover, these results suggest that cannabis demand could be a mechanism linking poorer executive functioning with heavier cannabis use and CUD, which should be confirmed in future longitudinal studies. Impact Statement This study found that young adults who performed more poorly on cognitive tasks assessing working memory and inhibitory control had higher behavioral economic demand for cannabis. Further, poorer cognitive performance was indirectly associated with increased cannabis consumption and symptoms of cannabis use disorder through greater cannabis demand. Results suggest that cannabis demand may be an important mechanism linking certain cognitive deficits with cannabis use among young adults. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | This research was supported by the Caskey/Francis Family Award in Clinical Research awarded by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation (PIs: Jeffrey D. Wardell & Christian S. Hendershot) and by a grant from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (Award Number: PJT-159754; PIs: Jeffrey D. Wardell & Christian S. Hendershot). The authors received additional support from the Canada Research Chairs Program (CH and RFT), and NIGMS COBRE grant P20GM130414 (PL: Aston). | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Coelho, S. G., Hendershot, C. S., Aston, E. R., Ruocco, A. C., Quilty, L. C., Tyndale, R. F., & Wardell, J. D. (2024). Executive functions and behavioral economic demand for cannabis among young adults: Indirect associations with cannabis consumption and cannabis use disorder. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 32(3), 305–315. https://doi.org/10.1037/pha0000678 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 1064-1297 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://doi.org/10.1037/pha0000678 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10315/42903 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | American Psychological Association | |
| dc.subject | Behavioral economics | |
| dc.subject | Marijuana | |
| dc.subject | Inhibition | |
| dc.subject | Working memory | |
| dc.subject | Set shifting | |
| dc.title | Executive functions and behavioral economic demand for cannabis among young adults: Indirect associations with cannabis consumption and cannabis use disorder | |
| dc.type | Article |