Researchers trained rats with complex and simple tasks, giving them a higher reward for the more complex task. The researchers then proceeded to get the rats high with THC. Once high, the rats opted for the simpler tasks even with the lower reward.
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CBD, which does not cause a high and is believed to have medicinal benefits such as relieving pain and the symptoms of epilepsy, had no impact on the rats’ cognitive behavior. It also did not mitigate the cognitive impact of THC in the rats.
“What’s interesting, however, is that their ability to do the difficult challenge was unaffected by THC. The rats could still do the task— they just didn’t want to.”