PTSD-Cannabis Use Disorder Comorbidity: Associative Memory Mechanisms

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD; i.e., problematic cannabis use) are common, costly, and impairing health conditions. They co-occur at very high rates: those with (vs. without) PTSD are three times more likely to develop CUD. Despite this high co-occurrence, clinicians have little information on how best to help people suffering with both problems. Our proposed set of two studies aim to test if cognitive processes such as automatic memories link trauma reminders with approach toward cannabis use or expectations for cannabis-induced relief in cannabis users with trauma histories. We also aim to study whether these cognitive processes are more active in those with more severe symptoms of PTSD. These cognitive processes might be key to developing effective therapeutic interventions for these patients. We also aim to study if these automatic cognitive processes explain cannabis use above what is explained by conscious cannabis craving following trauma reminders. Results could help clinicians and patients with PTSD understand the risks of cannabis more clearly. This study will be conducted by our multidisciplinary research team in collaboration with our clinical partners, using input from persons with lived experience, and incorporating the latest technological developments (e.g., novel computerized tasks, online testing). We will give high importance to examining the role of sex and gender, given established sex and gender differences in both PTSD and CUD individually. Our results will be disseminated among patients, healthcare providers, stakeholders, associations, the cannabis industry, and the general population to improve clinical care and policy.