Trauma reminders increased cannabis craving by activating reward circuits in the brain
Trauma-related cues increased cannabis craving and altered functional connectivity in reward brain circuits among cannabis users with trauma histories, suggesting a neural mechanism linking trauma to problematic cannabis use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Trauma cues increased cannabis craving and negative affect while decreasing positive affect. In the brain, trauma cues increased connectivity within the striatum and between striatal-cortical regions. Cannabis cues increased cortical and corticolimbic connectivity.
Key Numbers
27 cannabis users (74.1% female, mean age 32.2). Trauma cues increased craving and negative affect vs other cues. Trauma cues increased striatal and striatocortical FC. Cannabis cues increased cortical and corticolimbic FC. Both differed from neutral cues.
How They Did This
Randomized crossover fMRI study in 27 cannabis users with trauma histories, using personalized audiovisual cues (trauma, cannabis, neutral) during brain scanning, with self-reported craving and affect measures.
Why This Research Matters
Many trauma survivors use cannabis to cope, which can develop into problematic use. This study provides the first neural evidence for how trauma reminders might hijack reward circuits to drive cannabis craving.
The Bigger Picture
Understanding the neural link between trauma and substance craving could inform treatments that target reward circuit dysregulation, potentially helping trauma survivors who use cannabis problematically.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small sample of 27 participants. Not limited to diagnosed PTSD or cannabis use disorder, so findings may not apply to clinical populations. Cross-sectional design cannot establish whether altered connectivity predates or follows cannabis use.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would trauma-focused therapy normalize these reward circuit alterations?
- ?Do these connectivity patterns predict who will develop cannabis use disorder after trauma?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Trauma cues increased both cannabis craving and striatal reward circuit activity
- Evidence Grade:
- Novel fMRI study with personalized cues and within-subjects design, but small sample and non-clinical population limit generalizability.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025, data collected 2021-2022.
- Original Title:
- Trauma and cannabis cue-induced reward circuit functional connectivity in cannabis users with trauma histories.
- Published In:
- Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN, 50(4), E237-E247 (2025)
- Authors:
- Ethier-Gagnon, Mikaela A, DeGrace, Sarah(2), Romero-Sanchiz, Pablo, Helmick, Carl A, Tibbo, Philip G, Crocker, Candice E, Good, Kimberly, Rudnick, Abraham, Cosman, Tessa, Barrett, Sean P, Stewart, Sherry H
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06419
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Why do trauma survivors crave cannabis when triggered?
This brain imaging study found that trauma reminders activated reward circuits (striatum and cortex) in cannabis users, suggesting that trauma cues directly engage the brain's reward system to generate craving.
Does trauma make cannabis use worse?
This study provides neural evidence that trauma cues increase cannabis craving by altering reward circuit connectivity, which could explain why trauma survivors are at higher risk for developing problematic cannabis use.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06419APA
Ethier-Gagnon, Mikaela A; DeGrace, Sarah; Romero-Sanchiz, Pablo; Helmick, Carl A; Tibbo, Philip G; Crocker, Candice E; Good, Kimberly; Rudnick, Abraham; Cosman, Tessa; Barrett, Sean P; Stewart, Sherry H. (2025). Trauma and cannabis cue-induced reward circuit functional connectivity in cannabis users with trauma histories.. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN, 50(4), E237-E247. https://doi.org/10.1503/jpn.250064
MLA
Ethier-Gagnon, Mikaela A, et al. "Trauma and cannabis cue-induced reward circuit functional connectivity in cannabis users with trauma histories.." Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1503/jpn.250064
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Trauma and cannabis cue-induced reward circuit functional co..." RTHC-06419. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/ethier-gagnon-2025-trauma-and-cannabis-cueinduced
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.