AUTHOR=O'Donnell Brian F. , Skosnik Patrick D. , Hetrick William P. , Fridberg Daniel J. 

TITLE=Decision Making and Impulsivity in Young Adult Cannabis Users

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.679904

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2021.679904

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Aims. Frequent cannabis users often show higher levels of impulsivity than non-users, which may be related to disadvantageous decision making. The purpose of this study was to compare young adult cannabis users and non-users on cognitive processes relevant to decision-making and impulsivity. 

Method. Thirty-five adult current cannabis users without comorbid psychiatric disorders and 33 cannabis-naïve control participants completed behavioral measures of decision-making (Iowa Gambling Task), reward discounting (Delay Discounting Task), choice-outcome learning (the Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task) and a questionnaire assessment of impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale). 

Results. Relative to cannabis-naïve controls, cannabis users demonstrated greater preference for immediate versus delayed rewards on the Delay Discounting Task, made fewer advantageous decisions on the Iowa Gambling Task, and endorsed greater impulsivity on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale scales. Cannabis users and non-users showed equivalent performance on the Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task. Frequency of past-month cannabis use and total years of use did not predict decision making or impulsivity.

Conclusions. Young adult cannabis users demonstrated elevated self-reported impulsivity coupled with higher discounting rates and impairments in learning cost-benefit contingencies, while reversal learning was unaffected. Interventions that target improvement in affected components of decision making may be helpful in reducing cannabis use and relapse.