What is it about?
This study looked at whether college students would prefer a virtual reality (VR) room that had cannabis-related images (like buds, joints, and paraphernalia) compared to a neutral VR room with no cannabis cues. Overall, students showed no strong preference. But those who had used cannabis in the past 12 hours spent more time in the cannabis room, and female users reported stronger enjoyment and cravings than males. This suggests cannabis cues in VR may affect people differently depending on recent use and gender.
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Why is it important?
Cannabis is widely used by young adults, and cravings triggered by sights or reminders of cannabis can make it harder for people to cut back or quit. This study shows that these cravings can be stronger right after using cannabis and may differ between men and women. Learning how and when cannabis cues affect people can help us better understand addiction and develop strategies to support healthier choices.
Perspectives
Cannabis cues in virtual reality don’t affect everyone, but they matter more for people who used recently and for women, who reported stronger cravings. This suggests that drug reminders can trigger cravings differently depending on timing and gender, which is important for understanding addiction and relapse.
Robert Astur
University of Connecticut
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Conditioned place preferences for virtual reality cannabis cues., Behavioral Neuroscience, September 2025, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/bne0000634.
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