This study will assess cognition, neural function, and drug exposure in chronic pain patients who have been prescribed medical cannabis and will differentiate outcomes based on use of specific CBD-dominant versus THC-dominant treatment products. This longitudinal study will recruit medical cannabis users from local dispensaries. Each participant will complete a baseline assessment prior to the start of medical cannabis use, monthly phone calls to assess treatment adherence, and a four-month follow- up assessment. The aims of this project are: Aim 1. To assess impacts of medical cannabis compounds on executive functions, learning and memory in adults to determine whether cognitive impairments are evident after the onset of cannabis use; Aim 2. To assess the impacts of medical cannabis compounds on white matter microstructure, functional brain activity and functional connectivity; Aim 3. To differentiate change over four months in these outcomes as a function of (a) age and (b) pre-to-post-treatment changes in blood levels of cannabinoid compounds.
Age range
30 Years – 75 Years
Sex
ALL
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AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test
Timeframe: Administered at baseline and after four months
Digit Span Task
Timeframe: Administered at baseline and after four months
Verbal Fluency Task
Timeframe: Administered at baseline and after four months
Spatial Span Task
Timeframe: Administered at baseline and after four months
Grooved Pegboard Task
Timeframe: Administered at baseline and after four months
CANTAB Spatial Paired Associates Learning Task
Timeframe: Administered at baseline and after four months
CANTAB Stockings of Cambridge Task
Timeframe: Administered at baseline and after four months
CANTAB Self-Ordered Search Task
Timeframe: Assessed at baseline and after four months
Iowa Gambling Task (IGT)
Timeframe: Assessed at baseline and after four months
Face-Name Learning Task.
Timeframe: Administered at baseline and after four months
Verbal Paired Associates Learning Task.
Timeframe: Administered at baseline and after four months
Intrinsic functional brain activity
Timeframe: Administered at baseline and after four months
MRI measurement of cortical thickness and white matter volume
Timeframe: Administered at baseline and after four months
Frontostriatal structural and functional neural connectivity
Timeframe: Assessed at baseline and after four months
Frontohippocampal structural and functional connectivity
Timeframe: Assessed at baseline and after four months
Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test (CUDIT)
Timeframe: Baseline and monthly for four months thereafter
Blood levels of cannabinoid compounds
Timeframe: Collected at baseline and after four months
Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-V Substance Use Module
Timeframe: Assessed at baseline and after four months
Daily Medication Diary
Timeframe: Daily for the four month duration of the study