Cannabis use and the development of tolerance: a systematic review of human evidence.
Marco Colizzi, Sagnik Bhattacharyya
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews October 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.07.014 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Human volunteers with varying histories of cannabis exposure, including regular and non-regular cannabis users |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol Health Tolerance |
| Key findings | Evidence tends to suggest that regular cannabis users show less prominent acute effects from single cannabinoid administration than non-regular users, and repeated-administration studies more consistently indicate blunted effects upon repeated exposure. Tolerance appears strongest for cognitive function, where some studies report complete absence of acute effect, while intoxicating, psychotomimetic, and cardiac effects are partially blunted. |
Abstract
Previous studies have reported conflicting results in terms of acute effects of cannabis in man. Independently of other factors, such discrepancy may be attributable to the different cannabis use history of study volunteers. It is thought that regular cannabis users may develop tolerance to the effects of acute cannabis administration. Here we systematically review all studies examining the effects of single or repeated cannabinoid administration in man as a function of previous cannabis exposure. Research evidence tends to suggest that the acute effects of single cannabinoid administration are less prominent in regular cannabis users compared to non-regular users. Studies of repeated cannabinoid administration more consistently suggest less prominent effects upon repeated exposure. Cognitive function is the domain showing the highest degree of tolerance, with some evidence of complete absence of acute effect (full tolerance). The acute intoxicating, psychotomimetic, and cardiac effects are also blunted upon regular exposure, but to a lesser extent (partial tolerance). Limited research also suggests development of tolerance to other behavioral, physiological, and neural effects of cannabis.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effects of cannabis use on outcomes of psychotic disorders: systematic review People with psychotic disorders, as examined in 13 longitudinal studies | 2008 | Systematic review | |
| The Impact of Cannabis Use on Cognitive Functioning in Patients With Schizophrenia: A Meta-analysis of Existing Findings and New Data in a First-Episode Sample Patients with established schizophrenia (meta-analysis: 572) and patients with... | 2010 | Meta-analysis and cross-sectional observational study | n = 700 |
| Medicinal cannabis for psychiatric disorders: a clinically-focused systematic review | 2020 | Systematic review | |
| Neuroimaging in cannabis use: a systematic review of the literature Cannabis users and controls in neuroimaging studies | 2009 | Systematic review | |
| Human Laboratory Studies on Cannabinoids and Psychosis. Healthy human subjects and individuals with schizophrenia | 2016 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 27
- Reduced responsiveness of the reward system is associated with tolerance to cannabis impairment in chronic users Addiction Biology December 22, 2019
- Unraveling the Intoxicating and Therapeutic Effects of Cannabis Ingredients on Psychosis and Cognition Frontiers in Psychology May 14, 2020
- Rates and correlates of cannabis-associated psychotic symptoms in over 230,000 people who use cannabis Translational Psychiatry September 6, 2022
- The acute effects of cannabis with and without cannabidiol in adults and adolescents: A randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, crossover experiment Addiction February 8, 2023
- Cannabis as entheogen: survey and interview data on the spiritual use of cannabis. Journal of Cannabis Research September 22, 2020
and 22 more in the library
Cites 32
- Tolerance and cross-tolerance to neurocognitive effects of THC and alcohol in heavy cannabis users Psychopharmacology October 30, 2010
- Smoked Cannabis' Psychomotor and Neurocognitive Effects in Occasional and Frequent Smokers Journal of Analytical Toxicology March 4, 2015
- Neurophysiological functioning of occasional and heavy cannabis users during THC intoxication Psychopharmacology October 5, 2011
- Cannabis and tolerance: acute drug impairment as a function of cannabis use history Scientific Reports May 26, 2016
- Single doses of THC and cocaine decrease proficiency of impulse control in heavy cannabis users British Journal of Pharmacology October 11, 2013
and 27 more in the library