People with moderate-to-severe cannabis use disorder show heightened brain activity across addiction-related circuits when exposed to cannabis images, correlating with arousal and withdrawal severity.
Addiction neuroscientists, CUD treatment developers, neuromarketing regulators
What the researchers found
Compared to controls, individuals with CUD showed greater cannabis cue reactivity in occipital, orbitofrontal, cingulate, cerebellar, hippocampal, temporal, and parietal cortices. Greater occipital/cerebellar activity correlated with subjective arousal and cannabis withdrawal. Anterior cingulate/parietal activity negatively correlated with urinary THC metabolite levels.
Why it matters
Understanding the neural basis of cannabis craving is essential for developing treatments that can break the cycle of cue-triggered relapse. These findings show cannabis cues activate the same addiction circuits seen with other substances.
The numbers in context
65 CUD participants, 43 controls. Heightened activity in multiple regions (p<0.001, FWE corrected, k>10). Occipital/cerebellar activity correlated with arousal and withdrawal. Anterior cingulate/parietal activity negatively correlated with THC metabolite:creatinine ratio.
How the study worked
fMRI cannabis cue-reactivity task in 65 individuals with moderate-to-severe CUD (non-treatment-seeking, with past quit attempts) and 43 controls. Group differences analyzed adjusting for age and sex; correlations with cannabis use characteristics and mental health assessed.
What this study cannot tell us
Cross-sectional — cannot determine if brain differences preceded CUD. Non-treatment-seeking sample may differ from those in treatment. Static images may not capture real-world cue reactivity (smell, social context). Modest sample size.
How to read the evidence
Rigorous fMRI methodology with family-wise error correction, limited by moderate sample size and cross-sectional design.
When this study was published
Published 2026, first large cue-reactivity study in non-treatment-seeking CUD.
The bigger picture
As cannabis marketing expands with legalization, people with CUD face increasing exposure to cues that their brains are wired to overreact to. This neuroimaging evidence supports the argument for regulating cannabis marketing similar to tobacco and alcohol.
Questions still open
- Could neurofeedback targeting these circuits reduce craving? Do these neural patterns predict relapse? Would mindfulness-based interventions dampen cue reactivity? How does marketing exposure affect these circuits over time?
Common questions
Do cannabis ads trigger cravings in people with use disorder?
Is cannabis addiction similar to other addictions in the brain?
Read the original research
The Neurocircuitry of Cannabis Cue Reactivity in Cannabis Use Disorder: A Functional Neuroimaging Study.
Biological psychiatry global open science, 6(1), 100638
Citation
Lorenzetti, Valentina; Sehl, Hannah; Arun, Arush Honnedevasthana; McTavish, Eugene; Clemente, Adam; Thomson, Hannah; Quinones-Valera, Marianna; Gaillard, Alexandra; Beyer, Emillie; Thomson, Diny; Cousijn, Janna; Labuschagne, Izelle; Rendell, Peter; Terrett, Gill; Suo, Chao; Greenwood, Lisa-Marie; Manning, Victoria; Poudel, Govinda. (2026). The Neurocircuitry of Cannabis Cue Reactivity in Cannabis Use Disorder: A Functional Neuroimaging Study.. Biological psychiatry global open science, 6(1), 100638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100638
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