High-strength cannabis concentrates and teen mental health
Official title: Effects of High Potency Cannabis Products on Mental Health and Psychosocial Functioning
Funded at University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11310728 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are comparing how using high-potency cannabis concentrates versus lower-strength cannabis relates to mental health and daily functioning in adolescents and young adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | May 15, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $656,568 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA057894-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310728 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Teens and young adults about 12–20 years old, especially current users of high-potency cannabis concentrates or members of the long-standing twin cohort who can provide health information and biosamples, may be eligible.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not use cannabis, adults outside the target age range, or anyone unwilling to provide health information or blood samples are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will use an existing long-term twin group that has been followed since adolescence to track mental health and social functioning over time. They'll collect survey information, mental-health questionnaires, and biological samples such as blood to measure THC and other cannabinoids. The team will compare people who use high-potency concentrates, those who use flower or edibles, and those who use little or no cannabis to see how use patterns line up with anxiety, mood, and daily functioning. This work focuses on participants roughly ages 12–20 and uses repeated follow-up visits to see how effects change as people age.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could help doctors, families, and policymakers know which cannabis products carry higher mental health risks for teens and guide safer advice and rules.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research links heavier cannabis use and higher THC exposure to worse mental health, but studies specifically on very high-potency concentrates and long-term psychosocial effects are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado Denver
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hopfer, Christian J — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Hopfer, Christian J
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.