Sex differences in the acute effects of oral THC: a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover human laboratory study.

After a single 10 mg oral dose of THC, women reported a heightened subjective feeling of being 'high' compared to men, while psychotomimetic and physiological effects were similar across sexes. No sex differences appeared in verbal learning and memory. The findings suggest that women may experience a more pronounced subjective psychoactive response to THC, pointing to individual vulnerabilities that could inform tailored interventions for cannabis use disorder.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Recent reports have shown increased cannabis use among women, leading to growing concerns about cannabis use disorder (CUD). While there is preclinical evidence suggesting biological sex influences cannabinoid effects, human research remains scant. We investigated sex differences in the acute response to oral tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in humans. 56 healthy men and women with prior exposure to cannabis but no history of CUD participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, human laboratory study where they received a single 10 mg dose of oral THC (dronabinol). Subjective psychoactive effects were assessed by the visual analog scale of "high", psychotomimetic effects by the Clinician-Administered Dissociative Symptoms Scale and Psychotomimetic States Inventory, verbal learning and memory by Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), and physiological effects by heart rate. Outcomes were regularly measured on the test day, except for the RAVLT, which was assessed once. Peak differences from baseline were analyzed using a nonparametric method for repeated measures. Oral THC (10 mg) demonstrated significant dose-related effects in psychotomimetic and physiological domains, but not in RAVLT outcomes. A notable interaction between THC dose and sex emerged concerning the subjective "high" scores, with women reporting heightened sensations (p = 0.05). No other significant effects of sex and THC dose interaction were observed. Oral THC (10 mg) yields similar acute psychotomimetic and physiological effects across sexes, but women may experience a pronounced subjective psychoactive effect. Further research is needed to identify individual vulnerabilities and facilitate tailored interventions addressing CUD. GOV REGISTRATION: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02781519?term=Ranganathan&intr=THC&rank=3 .