Cannabis users report increased feelings of friendship, empathy and interpersonal warmth while experiencing the acute effects of cannabis. However, previous studies have reported that cannabis users find it harder to identify other emotions while under the influence of cannabis. Few studies have examined the long-term effects of using cannabis on an individual’s ability to perceive emotion. Additionally, previous studies have not examined differences in emotional perception at different levels of cannabis use.
In a small pilot study of 20 cases (heavy cannabis users) and 20 controls (non-users), we found evidence that cannabis users had a stronger bias to correctly identifying emotions, in particular anger. They were also less likely to incorrectly perceive disgust, fear and surprise. However, due to the small sample size of this study, results are currently underpowered.
We aim to extend this research into the ALSPAC cohort. Using data on cannabis use between the ages of 18 and 21 and emotion recognition data at age 25, we will be able to examine this is a much larger sample that is representative of the young adult population in the UK.