Cannabis cues, motives, and attention enhancement: A cannabis priming pilot study.

Abstract

Cannabis use is prevalent worldwide, and despite frequent use being linked to cognitive impairment, some individuals who use cannabis report perceived cognitive improvement. This pilot study evaluated a multisensory cannabis-cue priming procedure designed to induce craving in people who use cannabis. Additionally, this study examined the degree to which cue-induced craving and expectations of attentional enhancement were associated with changes in cognitive performance. Fifty-one adults (58.8% female; n = 26 who currently use cannabis, n = 25 who do not use cannabis) participated in a two-condition counterbalanced cannabis-priming study at a university campus in New Zealand. Stimuli included visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile items. Cannabis craving was assessed using a visual analogue scale across six time points, and selective attention and inhibitory control were measured via a digital flanker task. Cannabis beliefs and potential misuse were measured using the Cannabis Attention and Affect Motives Scale and the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test-Revised. Mixed model analyses showed significant increases in craving for those who currently use cannabis following cannabis priming relative to baseline and neutral primes, with effects persisting after task completion. No craving changes were found for those who do not use cannabis. While overall cognitive performance did not differ by priming condition, people who currently use cannabis who identified stronger attention enhancement motives demonstrated faster task performance (lower interference scores) following cannabis primes. These preliminary findings support the efficacy of this priming paradigm in inducing craving among individuals who currently use cannabis and demonstrate the potential influence of cannabis-related beliefs on cognitive performance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).