Observational · 2026
Long-term ayahuasca and cannabis users differed in personality, not thinking skills
- Original title
- Personality, not cognition, distinguishes chronic ayahuasca and cannabis users from non-users.
- Authors
- Bouso JC, Andión O, Estévez SF, et al.
- Journal
- European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2026
- Molecules
- Ayahuasca, Other
- Conditions
- Healthy volunteers, Other
- Participants
- 219
- Evidence grade
- Low
- Source
- Read the original paper
The question
Do people who regularly use ayahuasca or cannabis differ from non-users in thinking skills, mental health symptoms or personality traits?
What they did
Researchers compared three groups: 69 regular ayahuasca users, 56 regular cannabis users and 94 people who did not use these substances. The groups were matched for age, education and IQ. Everyone completed a set of neuropsychological tests (tasks measuring things like working memory and planning) and psychological questionnaires. Participants had abstained from drug use for at least 10 to 30 days before testing.
What they found
There were no significant differences between the three groups on the neuropsychological tasks. Personality traits were what best separated the groups in the statistical analyses. Ayahuasca users scored higher on self-transcendence (a sense of connection beyond the self) and lower on harm avoidance and persistence. Cannabis users scored higher on novelty seeking and impulsive nonconformity, and lower on introvertive anhedonia (reduced enjoyment of social contact). These patterns held after accounting for demographics and psychiatric history. Ayahuasca users reported more lifetime mood and anxiety disorders but showed no current symptoms of psychopathology.
The fine print
This was a snapshot in time, so it cannot tell us whether substance use shaped personality or whether certain personalities are drawn to these substances. Participants volunteered and were not seeking treatment, so they may not represent typical users. The groups were modest in size, and the cognitive tests covered only executive function and working memory, not all thinking skills. This summary is based on the abstract alone.
What it means
Among these abstinent, self-selected users, long-term ayahuasca or cannabis use was not linked to measurable lasting deficits on the thinking tests used; the clearest differences were in personality traits, which may have existed before use began.
Evidence grade: Low. Cross-sectional observational study of self-selected users with no randomization, so it can show differences between groups but not what caused them.
This summary is based on the study’s published abstract.