Toni C. Spinella

• Master of Science
• PhD Student at Dalhousie University

Background Cannabidiol (CBD) impacts brain regions implicated in anxiety reactivity and stress reactivity (e.g., amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), anterior insula (AI)); however, placebo-controlled studies are mixed regarding CBD’s anxiolytic effects. We previously reported that CBD expectancy alone can alter subjective, physiological, and...

Background: Our group has previously reported that cannabidiol (CBD) expectancy alone blunts markers of stress, particularly during anticipation, but it is not clear the extent to which such findings were specific to the methods utilized. Aims:To examine CBD-related placebo effects on stress reactivity and anticipation and to validate a protocol to...

Background: Cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant, has gained interest for its purported stress- and anxiety-reducing effects. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Our group previously found that CBD expectancy alone resulted in lower state anxiety (vs. CBD-free expectancy) among th...

Background: Cannabis is associated with a range of therapeutic and non-therapeutic, positive and negative effects. While some benefits and harms may be specific to individual cannabinoid constituents (THC, CBD), individual expectancies may also play a role. Objectives: Evaluate the extent to which individuals hold expectancies about the effects of...

Rationale: Cannabidiol (CBD) has been reported to attenuate stress and anxiety, but little is known about the extent to which such effects result from pharmacological versus expectancy factors. Objectives: We evaluated whether CBD expectancy alone could influence stress, anxiety, and mood, and the extent to which beliefs regarding CBD effects pred...

Background. There have been notable increases in the use of cannabidiol (CBD) for therapeutic purposes, such as in the treatment of stress- and anxiety- related disorders. Preliminary research has demonstrated that CBD decreases indices of stress and anxiety. However, drug effects in humans are thought to be comprised of both pharmacological proper...

There is growing interest in using cannabis or specific cannabinoids (e.g., THC, CBD) as therapeutic agents for various stress-related psychiatric disorders (e.g., PTSD, anxiety). While beliefs about a drug, such as expecting to feel a certain way, have strong influences over the actual effects experienced by individuals, they are rarely evaluated...

Negative reinforcement mechanisms, wherein individuals smoke at regular intervals to ameliorate craving and withdrawal, are integral to persistent smoking. This is consistent with the behavior of dependent smokers but does not fully account for the behavior of intermittent smokers, who do not smoke enough to maintain steady nicotine levels. This st...

Introduction and Aims Given the increase in cannabis availability and use in North America, identification of risk factors for cannabis use and dependence is paramount. One factor that may be associated with various cannabis‐related adverse outcomes is the context in which it is used. This secondary analysis study sought to examine the extent to wh...