An assessment of concurrent cannabidiol and Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol administration in place aversion and taste avoidance conditioning.
Briana J. Hempel, Matthew M Clasen, Katharine H Nelson, Claudia J Woloshchuk, Anthony L Riley
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology April 2018 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000188 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled experimental study (animal conditioning experiments) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male and female Wistar rats |
| Interventions | Cannabidiol (CBD) Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) |
| Dose | CBD 0.075, 0.75 mg/kg; THC 0.75 mg/kg (Experiment 1); CBD 0.75, 7.5 mg/kg; THC 7.5 mg/kg (Experiment 2); CBD:THC ratios 1:10 or 1:1 |
| Topics | Cannabis CBD |
| Key findings | THC alone produced significant place aversions and taste avoidance in rats, but CBD at 1:10 or 1:1 dose ratios did not modulate these aversive effects at either 0.75 mg/kg or 7.5 mg/kg THC, with no sex differences. The authors suggest altering CBD content in medicinal cannabis will likely have minimal effects on tolerability. |
Abstract
Rising interest in medical marijuana has prompted research into its phytocannabinoid constituents, particularly Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Coadministration of CBD with THC has been shown to modulate a number of THC's effects, including its negative stimulus properties (e.g., anxiety, paranoia, psychosis) in a clinical setting. The present series of experiments extended these analyses by examining the ability of CBD to impact the aversive effects of THC as assessed in a combined taste and place conditioning procedure. In Experiment 1, male and female Wistar rats were given access to a novel saccharin solution, injected with a vehicle solution CBD (0.075, 0.75 mg/kg), THC (0.75 mg/kg) or several combinations of CBD and THC (1:10 or 1:1 dose ratio), and then placed in a distinct chamber of a place conditioning apparatus. When THC was administered alone, it induced significant place aversions and taste avoidance. At both dose ratios, CBD failed to modulate either effect. There were no sex differences in either assay or at any ratio. A follow-up experiment (Experiment 2) employed identical dose ratios, but a higher dose of THC (7.5 mg/kg) and corresponding CBD doses (0.75, 7.5 mg/kg). Similar to the initial assessment, CBD had no effect on THC-induced place or taste conditioning at either dose ratio. These results may reflect the specific phytocannabinoid dose ratios examined or species differences in cannabinoid action. The current findings further suggest that altering CBD content in medicinal cannabis will likely have minimal effects in terms of tolerability. (PsycINFO Database Record
Comparable studies
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