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Sex differences in acute cannabis effects revisited: Results from two randomized, controlled trials

Thomas R. Arkell, Richard C. Kevin, Frederick Vinckenbosch, Nicholas Lintzeris, Eef L. Theunissen, Johannes G. Ramaekers, Iain S. Mcgregor

Addiction Biology December 22, 2021 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13125 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed
Sample size 40
Population Males (n=21) and females (n=19) who participated in two randomized controlled trials
Interventions vaporized cannabis containing 13.75 mg Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with and without cannabidiol (CBD; 13.75 mg)
Dose 13.75 mg THC, with or without 13.75 mg CBD
Topics Cannabis CBD
Keywords Randomized controlled trial Effects of cannabis Cannabis dependence Clinical psychology
Citations 45
Key findings Males and females did not differ in subjective drug effects, cardiovascular measures, or most plasma cannabinoid concentrations after vaporized cannabis with 13.75 mg THC, though males performed better on a divided attention task and had higher peak 11-COOH-THC levels.

Abstract

Some evidence suggests that males and females may differ in their responses to acute cannabis effects, including subjective drug effects and behavioural effects, and cannabinoid pharmacokinetics. This is significant given current changes to cannabis-related policies and, in consequence, increased cannabis accessibility. The present study combines data from two randomized controlled trials to investigate possible differences among males (n = 21) and females (n = 19) in the acute effects of vaporized cannabis containing 13.75 mg Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), with and without cannabidiol (CBD; 13.75 mg). To control for differences in the timing of assessments, peak (or peak change from baseline) scores were calculated for a range of measures including subjective drug effects, cognitive performance, cardiovascular effects, and plasma concentrations of THC, CBD, and their respective primary metabolites. While THC elicited robust and significant changes in all but one outcome measure relative to placebo, relatively few sex differences were observed after controlling for BMI and plasma THC concentrations. Relative to females, males performed better overall on a divided attention task (DAT) and had higher peak plasma concentrations of 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (11-COOH-THC). Males and females did not differ with respect to plasma concentrations of any other analyte, subjective drug effects, or cardiovascular measures. These data indicate an absence of systematic sex differences in acute cannabis effects given a moderate dose of vaporized cannabis. They do not preclude the possibility that sex differences may emerge with higher THC doses or with other commonly used routes of administration (e.g., orally administered oils or edibles).

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on cannabis, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Healthy participants 2012 Randomized controlled trial n = 48
Distinct Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing Healthy, English-native, right-handed men who had used cannabis 15 times or less in... 2009 Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial n = 15
Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Healthy male subjects 2012 Randomized controlled trial n = 16
Modulation of Mediotemporal and Ventrostriatal Function in Humans by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Healthy, native English-speaking, right-handed men of white race/ethnicity who had used... 2009 Randomized controlled trial n = 15
Cannabidiol (CBD) content in vaporized cannabis does not prevent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced impairment of driving and cognition Healthy volunteers with a history of light cannabis use 2019 Randomized, double-blind, within-subjects crossover n = 14

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