# The effects of cannabis on mind-wandering

## TL;DR

This study shows that cannabis use increases mind-wandering and reduces task performance, especially for spontaneous thoughts.

## Contribution

The study introduces a naturalistic design to examine cannabis effects on mind-wandering regulation.

## Key findings

- Cannabis use is linked to increased spontaneous mind-wandering and impaired task performance.
- Cannabis reduces instruction-related changes in deliberate mind-wandering.
- Cannabis impairs the regulation of mind-wandering.

## Abstract

To examine the effects of cannabis on mind-wandering, regular cannabis smokers of legally purchased pre-rolls took part in a three-session remote study. In each 30-min session participants completed three blocks of an attention task in which they pressed the spacebar in time with a metronome tone (the Metronome Response Task), and intermittently reported their levels of spontaneous and deliberate mind-wandering. Performance on the Metronome Response Task was indexed through response time variability, with greater response variability indicating poorer performance. Following an initial ‘baseline’ block, participants were instructed to mind-wander either 20 % or 80 % of the time in the second and third blocks (counterbalanced). Critically, the first and third sessions were scheduled on days of planned abstention while the second session immediately followed the (planned) use of cannabis (an ABA design). In the baseline blocks we found that cannabis use is associated with a large increase in spontaneous mind-wandering, a smaller increase in deliberate mind-wandering, and impaired task performance. When participants were instructed to mind-wander 20 % or 80 % of the time, cannabis use reduced instruction-related changes in deliberate mind-wandering and task performance, suggesting an impairment of the regulation of mind-wandering.

•Examined cannabis effects on mind-wandering using a naturalistic design.•Cannabis decreased task performance and increased mind-wandering.•Effects of cannabis were larger for spontaneous vs. deliberate mind-wandering.•Cannabis use diminished instruction-related changes in mind-wandering.•Results suggest cannabis impairs the regulation of mind-wandering.

Examined cannabis effects on mind-wandering using a naturalistic design.

Cannabis decreased task performance and increased mind-wandering.

Effects of cannabis were larger for spontaneous vs. deliberate mind-wandering.

Cannabis use diminished instruction-related changes in mind-wandering.

Results suggest cannabis impairs the regulation of mind-wandering.