Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology
January 1, 2023
Luke J. Ney, Wole Akosile, Chris Davey et al.
8 citations
Preclinical and experimental research suggests medicinal cannabis may help treat posttraumatic stress disorder, but integrating it into routine clinical therapies poses clinical, practical, and safety challenges, especially when combined with trauma-focused psychotherapy. Key issues include dose timing and titration, addiction potential, product formulation, windows of intervention, and route of administration. Exposure therapy for PTSD involves recalling intense emotions, and the interaction between cannabis use and reliving trauma memories requires exploration for patient safety and therapeutic outcomes.
Psychopharmacology
February 1, 2026
Ana Deutsch, Connor J Haggarty, Gavin N Petrie et al.
1 citation
A single oral dose of methamphetamine (20 mg) reduced blood levels of the endocannabinoid 2-AG in healthy adults, while MDMA (100 mg) did not. Neither drug affected anandamide (AEA) levels. Under placebo, higher AEA concentrations were linked to disliking the drug effects, suggesting a connection between AEA and negative expectations. These findings show how stimulants act on the endocannabinoid system and may inform treatments for substance use disorders.
Psychopharmacology
February 1, 2026
Savannah H M Lightfoot, Andrei S Nastase, Gabriela Costa Lenz Cesar et al.
In a rodent model of fear conditioning, acute exposure to THC-dominant cannabis vapor before fear learning did not affect initial fear acquisition but impaired fear recall in females 24 hours later and prevented spontaneous recovery of conditioned fear in both sexes after two weeks. Acute cannabis before extinction training impaired extinction in females while enhancing it in males. Chronic THC exposure before conditioning initially potentiated fear responses, mainly in females, but did not affect spontaneous recovery. Cannabis exposure has complex effects on fear memory, though acute exposure before fear learning may destabilize fear memory long term, with potential implications for PTSD.
Psychopharmacology
February 1, 2026
Nicole L Zabik, Allesandra Iadipaolo, Craig A Peters et al.
Low doses of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) affect brain regions involved in fear learning and memory in adults with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with effects persisting up to one week after administration. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 36 adults with PTSD received either placebo, 5 mg, or 10 mg of oral THC before fear extinction learning. Twenty-four hours later, the 5 mg group showed greater anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex activation during early fear renewal. One week later, the 10 mg group showed greater hippocampus activation during extinction recall and prefrontal cortex activation during fear renewal. Dosing and timing are critical for facilitating fear memory processes in PTSD.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
December 30, 2025
Catherine Hume, Carrie Cuttler, Samantha L Baglot et al.
Cannabis vapor inhalation acutely increases food intake in both humans and rats, an effect driven by central cannabinoid 1 receptors. In humans, energy intake rose within the first 30 minutes of snack access, regardless of dose or gender, without altering the proportion of macronutrients consumed. In rats, cannabis vapor reduced the time to start eating and increased the number of feeding bouts, overriding homeostatic appetite regulation by boosting motivation to eat and reducing food reward devaluation. These feeding effects were not accompanied by changes in circulating appetite-associated hormones, and they depended on central, not peripheral, CB1 receptors.