Age differences in the behavioural economics of cannabis use: Do adolescents and adults differ on demand for cannabis and discounting of future reward?

A. Borissova; S. Soni; E. R. Aston; R. Lees; K. Petrilli; M. B. Wall; M.A.P. Bloomfield; E. Mertzani; A. Paksina; T. P. Freeman; C. Mokrysz; W. Lawn; H. V. Curran

doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109531

Age differences in the behavioural economics of cannabis use: Do adolescents and adults differ on demand for cannabis and discounting of future reward?

A. Borissova, S. Soni, E. R. Aston, R. Lees, K. Petrilli, M. B. Wall, M.A.P. Bloomfield, E. Mertzani, A. Paksina, T. P. Freeman, C. Mokrysz, W. Lawn, H. V. Curran

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is a period of psychological and neural development in which harms associated with cannabis use may be heightened. We hypothesised that adolescent who use cannabis (adolescentsWUC) would have steeper delay discounting (preference for immediate over future rewards) and greater demand (relative valuation) for cannabis than adults who use cannabis (adultsWUC). Methods: This cross-sectional study, part of the ‘CannTeen’ project, compared adultsWUC (n = 71, 26–29 years old) and adolescentsWUC (n = 76, 16–17 years old), and gender- and age-matched adolescent (n = 63) and adult (n = 64) controls. AdolescentsWUC and adultsWUC used cannabis 1–7 days/week and were matched on cannabis use frequency (4 days/week). The Monetary Choice Questionnaire assessed delay discounting. A modified Marijuana Purchase Task (MPT) assessed cannabis demand in adolescentsWUC and adultsWUC. The MPT yielded five indices: intensity (amount of cannabis used at zero cost), O_max (total peak expenditure), P_max (price at peak expenditure), breakpoint (cost at which cannabis demand is suppressed to zero) and elasticity (degree to which cannabis use decreases with increasing price). Analyses were adjusted for covariates of gender, socioeconomic status, other illicit drug use. Results: Both adolescentsWUC and adultsWUC had steeper delay discounting than controls (F, (1,254)= 9.13, p = 0.003, η_p²= 0.04), with no significant age effect or interaction. AdolescentsWUC showed higher intensity (F, (1,138)= 9.76, p = 0.002, η_p²= 0.07) and lower elasticity (F, (1,138)= 15.25, p < 0.001, η_p²= 0.10) than adultsWUC. There were no significant differences in P_max, O_max or breakpoint. Conclusion: Individuals who use cannabis prefer immediate rewards more than controls. AdolescentsWUC, compared to adultsWUC, may be in a high-risk category with diminished sensitivity to cannabis price increases and a greater consumption of cannabis when it is free.

Original language	English
Article number	109531
Journal	Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Volume	238
Early online date	9 Jun 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109531
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council ( MRC ; award number MR/P012728/1 ) to HVC and TPF. AB is supported by a fellowship from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) UCLH Biomedical Research Centre and a NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship. HVC is supported by grants from the MRC, United Kingdom (UK) Department of Health and by the National Institute for Health Research UCLH Biomedical Research Centre. MBW’s primary employer is Invicro LLC, a contract research organisation which performs commercial research for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. MAPB is supported by grants from UK Research and Innovation, University College London, the British Medical Association Foundation for Medical Research, and the National Institute for Health University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre. ERA is funded by NIGMS (National Institute of General Medical Sciences) COBRE grant P20GM130414 .

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council ( MRC ; award number MR/P012728/1 ) to HVC and TPF. AB is supported by a fellowship from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) UCLH Biomedical Research Centre and a NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship. HVC is supported by grants from the MRC, United Kingdom (UK) Department of Health and by the National Institute for Health Research UCLH Biomedical Research Centre. MBW’s primary employer is Invicro LLC, a contract research organisation which performs commercial research for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. MAPB is supported by grants from UK Research and Innovation, University College London, the British Medical Association Foundation for Medical Research, and the National Institute for Health University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre. ERA is funded by NIGMS (National Institute of General Medical Sciences) COBRE grant P20GM130414 .

Keywords

Adolescent
Cannabis
Delay discounting
Marijuana purchase task

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Toxicology
Pharmacology
Psychiatry and Mental health
Pharmacology (medical)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Borissova, A., Soni, S., Aston, E. R., Lees, R., Petrilli, K., Wall, M. B., Bloomfield, M. A. P., Mertzani, E., Paksina, A., Freeman, T. P., Mokrysz, C., Lawn, W., & Curran, H. V. (2022). Age differences in the behavioural economics of cannabis use: Do adolescents and adults differ on demand for cannabis and discounting of future reward? Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 238, Article 109531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109531

Borissova, A, Soni, S, Aston, ER, Lees, R , Petrilli, K, Wall, MB, Bloomfield, MAP, Mertzani, E, Paksina, A, Freeman, TP, Mokrysz, C, Lawn, W & Curran, HV 2022, 'Age differences in the behavioural economics of cannabis use: Do adolescents and adults differ on demand for cannabis and discounting of future reward?', Drug and Alcohol Dependence, vol. 238, 109531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109531

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title = "Age differences in the behavioural economics of cannabis use: Do adolescents and adults differ on demand for cannabis and discounting of future reward?",

abstract = "Background: Adolescence is a period of psychological and neural development in which harms associated with cannabis use may be heightened. We hypothesised that adolescent who use cannabis (adolescentsWUC) would have steeper delay discounting (preference for immediate over future rewards) and greater demand (relative valuation) for cannabis than adults who use cannabis (adultsWUC). Methods: This cross-sectional study, part of the {\textquoteleft}CannTeen{\textquoteright} project, compared adultsWUC (n = 71, 26–29 years old) and adolescentsWUC (n = 76, 16–17 years old), and gender- and age-matched adolescent (n = 63) and adult (n = 64) controls. AdolescentsWUC and adultsWUC used cannabis 1–7 days/week and were matched on cannabis use frequency (4 days/week). The Monetary Choice Questionnaire assessed delay discounting. A modified Marijuana Purchase Task (MPT) assessed cannabis demand in adolescentsWUC and adultsWUC. The MPT yielded five indices: intensity (amount of cannabis used at zero cost), Omax (total peak expenditure), Pmax (price at peak expenditure), breakpoint (cost at which cannabis demand is suppressed to zero) and elasticity (degree to which cannabis use decreases with increasing price). Analyses were adjusted for covariates of gender, socioeconomic status, other illicit drug use. Results: Both adolescentsWUC and adultsWUC had steeper delay discounting than controls (F, (1,254)= 9.13, p = 0.003, ηp2= 0.04), with no significant age effect or interaction. AdolescentsWUC showed higher intensity (F, (1,138)= 9.76, p = 0.002, ηp2= 0.07) and lower elasticity (F, (1,138)= 15.25, p < 0.001, ηp2= 0.10) than adultsWUC. There were no significant differences in Pmax, Omax or breakpoint. Conclusion: Individuals who use cannabis prefer immediate rewards more than controls. AdolescentsWUC, compared to adultsWUC, may be in a high-risk category with diminished sensitivity to cannabis price increases and a greater consumption of cannabis when it is free.",

keywords = "Adolescent, Cannabis, Delay discounting, Marijuana purchase task",

author = "A. Borissova and S. Soni and Aston, {E. R.} and R. Lees and K. Petrilli and Wall, {M. B.} and M.A.P. Bloomfield and E. Mertzani and A. Paksina and Freeman, {T. P.} and C. Mokrysz and W. Lawn and Curran, {H. V.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council ( MRC ; award number MR/P012728/1 ) to HVC and TPF. AB is supported by a fellowship from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) UCLH Biomedical Research Centre and a NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship. HVC is supported by grants from the MRC, United Kingdom (UK) Department of Health and by the National Institute for Health Research UCLH Biomedical Research Centre. MBW{\textquoteright}s primary employer is Invicro LLC, a contract research organisation which performs commercial research for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. MAPB is supported by grants from UK Research and Innovation, University College London, the British Medical Association Foundation for Medical Research, and the National Institute for Health University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre. ERA is funded by NIGMS (National Institute of General Medical Sciences) COBRE grant P20GM130414 . ",

year = "2022",

month = sep,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109531",

language = "English",

volume = "238",

journal = "Drug and Alcohol Dependence",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Age differences in the behavioural economics of cannabis use

T2 - Do adolescents and adults differ on demand for cannabis and discounting of future reward?

AU - Borissova, A.

AU - Soni, S.

AU - Aston, E. R.

AU - Lees, R.

AU - Petrilli, K.

AU - Wall, M. B.

AU - Bloomfield, M.A.P.

AU - Mertzani, E.

AU - Paksina, A.

AU - Freeman, T. P.

AU - Mokrysz, C.

AU - Lawn, W.

AU - Curran, H. V.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council ( MRC ; award number MR/P012728/1 ) to HVC and TPF. AB is supported by a fellowship from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) UCLH Biomedical Research Centre and a NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship. HVC is supported by grants from the MRC, United Kingdom (UK) Department of Health and by the National Institute for Health Research UCLH Biomedical Research Centre. MBW’s primary employer is Invicro LLC, a contract research organisation which performs commercial research for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. MAPB is supported by grants from UK Research and Innovation, University College London, the British Medical Association Foundation for Medical Research, and the National Institute for Health University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre. ERA is funded by NIGMS (National Institute of General Medical Sciences) COBRE grant P20GM130414 .

PY - 2022/9/1

Y1 - 2022/9/1

N2 - Background: Adolescence is a period of psychological and neural development in which harms associated with cannabis use may be heightened. We hypothesised that adolescent who use cannabis (adolescentsWUC) would have steeper delay discounting (preference for immediate over future rewards) and greater demand (relative valuation) for cannabis than adults who use cannabis (adultsWUC). Methods: This cross-sectional study, part of the ‘CannTeen’ project, compared adultsWUC (n = 71, 26–29 years old) and adolescentsWUC (n = 76, 16–17 years old), and gender- and age-matched adolescent (n = 63) and adult (n = 64) controls. AdolescentsWUC and adultsWUC used cannabis 1–7 days/week and were matched on cannabis use frequency (4 days/week). The Monetary Choice Questionnaire assessed delay discounting. A modified Marijuana Purchase Task (MPT) assessed cannabis demand in adolescentsWUC and adultsWUC. The MPT yielded five indices: intensity (amount of cannabis used at zero cost), Omax (total peak expenditure), Pmax (price at peak expenditure), breakpoint (cost at which cannabis demand is suppressed to zero) and elasticity (degree to which cannabis use decreases with increasing price). Analyses were adjusted for covariates of gender, socioeconomic status, other illicit drug use. Results: Both adolescentsWUC and adultsWUC had steeper delay discounting than controls (F, (1,254)= 9.13, p = 0.003, ηp2= 0.04), with no significant age effect or interaction. AdolescentsWUC showed higher intensity (F, (1,138)= 9.76, p = 0.002, ηp2= 0.07) and lower elasticity (F, (1,138)= 15.25, p < 0.001, ηp2= 0.10) than adultsWUC. There were no significant differences in Pmax, Omax or breakpoint. Conclusion: Individuals who use cannabis prefer immediate rewards more than controls. AdolescentsWUC, compared to adultsWUC, may be in a high-risk category with diminished sensitivity to cannabis price increases and a greater consumption of cannabis when it is free.

AB - Background: Adolescence is a period of psychological and neural development in which harms associated with cannabis use may be heightened. We hypothesised that adolescent who use cannabis (adolescentsWUC) would have steeper delay discounting (preference for immediate over future rewards) and greater demand (relative valuation) for cannabis than adults who use cannabis (adultsWUC). Methods: This cross-sectional study, part of the ‘CannTeen’ project, compared adultsWUC (n = 71, 26–29 years old) and adolescentsWUC (n = 76, 16–17 years old), and gender- and age-matched adolescent (n = 63) and adult (n = 64) controls. AdolescentsWUC and adultsWUC used cannabis 1–7 days/week and were matched on cannabis use frequency (4 days/week). The Monetary Choice Questionnaire assessed delay discounting. A modified Marijuana Purchase Task (MPT) assessed cannabis demand in adolescentsWUC and adultsWUC. The MPT yielded five indices: intensity (amount of cannabis used at zero cost), Omax (total peak expenditure), Pmax (price at peak expenditure), breakpoint (cost at which cannabis demand is suppressed to zero) and elasticity (degree to which cannabis use decreases with increasing price). Analyses were adjusted for covariates of gender, socioeconomic status, other illicit drug use. Results: Both adolescentsWUC and adultsWUC had steeper delay discounting than controls (F, (1,254)= 9.13, p = 0.003, ηp2= 0.04), with no significant age effect or interaction. AdolescentsWUC showed higher intensity (F, (1,138)= 9.76, p = 0.002, ηp2= 0.07) and lower elasticity (F, (1,138)= 15.25, p < 0.001, ηp2= 0.10) than adultsWUC. There were no significant differences in Pmax, Omax or breakpoint. Conclusion: Individuals who use cannabis prefer immediate rewards more than controls. AdolescentsWUC, compared to adultsWUC, may be in a high-risk category with diminished sensitivity to cannabis price increases and a greater consumption of cannabis when it is free.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Cannabis

KW - Delay discounting

KW - Marijuana purchase task

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DO - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109531

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85133306598

SN - 0376-8716

VL - 238

JO - Drug and Alcohol Dependence

JF - Drug and Alcohol Dependence

M1 - 109531

ER -

Age differences in the behavioural economics of cannabis use: Do adolescents and adults differ on demand for cannabis and discounting of future reward?

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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