Neurocognition and subjective experience following acute doses of the synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018: a phase 1, placebo-controlled, pilot study

Controlled studies on the behavioural effects of synthetic cannabinoids are currently lacking, which hampers risk assessments of these compounds. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH This is a first attempt to assess the influence of a synthetic cannabinoid, JWH-018, on neurocognition and subjective experience in humans after controlled administration.

JWH-018, 2 and 3 mg, was administered to six healthy cannabis-experienced volunteers in a placebo-controlled, cross-over study following an escalating dosing schedule. Participants weremonitored for 12 h after drug administration, and several neurocognitive measures and subjective questionnaires were taken. KEY RESULTS Serum concentrations of JWH-018 were highest after the 2 mg dose but generally low after administration of both doses.