Frequent cannabis users reported impaired sensory filtering and altered body awareness
Frequent cannabis users reported impaired sensory gating (difficulty filtering external stimuli) and altered interoception (heightened awareness of affect-related body sensations), with more cannabis use days linked to greater emotional awareness.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Cannabis users reported impaired sensory gating across subscales (d=0.37-0.44, all p<0.05) and heightened affect-related interoceptive awareness (d=0.21-0.61, all p<0.05) compared to non-users. More cannabis use days correlated with higher emotional awareness (r=0.37, p<0.05).
Key Numbers
72 cannabis users (50% female), 78 non-users (60% female). Sensory gating impairment effect sizes: d=0.37-0.44. Interoceptive awareness elevations: d=0.21-0.61. Cannabis use days correlated with emotional awareness: r=0.37.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional study of 72 frequent cannabis users (2+ times/week, not intoxicated during testing) and 78 non-users, ages 18-40. Sensory Gating Inventory and Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness-2 surveys administered.
Why This Research Matters
Altered sensory processing could explain why some cannabis users report difficulty concentrating and heightened emotional sensitivity. These subjective experiences may relate to intoxication, craving, and withdrawal states.
The Bigger Picture
Sensory gating impairment (difficulty filtering irrelevant stimuli) is also seen in conditions like schizophrenia and ADHD. Finding similar patterns in cannabis users raises questions about whether cannabis exacerbates or reveals underlying sensory processing vulnerabilities.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot determine whether cannabis causes these changes or whether people with altered sensory processing are drawn to cannabis. Self-report measures only. Users were not intoxicated but residual effects possible.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do sensory gating impairments resolve after cannabis cessation?
- ?Could these subjective sensory changes serve as clinical markers for problematic use?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Sensory gating impairment d=0.37-0.44
- Evidence Grade:
- Cross-sectional comparison with appropriate effect size reporting, but self-report measures and inability to establish causation limit conclusions.
- Study Age:
- 2024 cross-sectional study of adults ages 18-40
- Original Title:
- Alterations in self-reported sensory gating and interoception in individuals frequently using cannabis.
- Published In:
- The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse, 50(4), 525-535 (2024)
- Authors:
- Bloomer, Bess F, Larson, Eric R, Tullar, Rachel L, Herms, Emma N, Bolbecker, Amanda R, O'Donnell, Brian F, Hetrick, William P, Wisner, Krista M
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05142
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis affect how you process sensory information?
Frequent users reported more difficulty filtering irrelevant stimuli (impaired sensory gating) and heightened awareness of affect-related body sensations compared to non-users, even when not currently intoxicated.
Could these effects be pre-existing rather than caused by cannabis?
The cross-sectional design cannot determine this. People with altered sensory processing might be drawn to cannabis, or cannabis might cause these changes. Longitudinal studies are needed.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05142APA
Bloomer, Bess F; Larson, Eric R; Tullar, Rachel L; Herms, Emma N; Bolbecker, Amanda R; O'Donnell, Brian F; Hetrick, William P; Wisner, Krista M. (2024). Alterations in self-reported sensory gating and interoception in individuals frequently using cannabis.. The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse, 50(4), 525-535. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2024.2332602
MLA
Bloomer, Bess F, et al. "Alterations in self-reported sensory gating and interoception in individuals frequently using cannabis.." The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2024.2332602
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Alterations in self-reported sensory gating and interoceptio..." RTHC-05142. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/bloomer-2024-alterations-in-selfreported-sensory
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.