Dose-related effects of delta-9-THC on emotional responses to acute psychosocial stress.
Emma Childs, Joseph A Lutz, Harriet de Wit
Drug and Alcohol Dependence August 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.03.030 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 42 |
| Population | Healthy young adults |
| Intervention | delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) |
| Dose | 0, 7.5 mg, or 12.5 mg oral THC |
| Measures | salivary cortisol, subjective mood and drug effects, vital signs, task appraisals |
| Topics | Anxiety Cannabis |
| Keywords | Acute stress Stress-coping Subjective effects Tsst |
| Key findings | The authors report that 7.5 mg oral THC reduced subjective distress and threat/challenge appraisals after the Trier Social Stress Test compared with placebo, whereas 12.5 mg THC increased negative mood overall, raised pre-task threat and challenge appraisals, impaired task performance, and attenuated blood pressure reactivity. They suggest low doses may produce stress-relieving effects while higher doses may non-specifically increase negative mood. |
Abstract
Cannabis smokers often report that they use the drug to relax or to relieve emotional stress. However, few clinical studies have shown evidence of the stress-relieving effects of cannabis or cannabinoid agonists. In this study, we sought to assess the influence of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a main active ingredient of cannabis, upon emotional responses to an acute psychosocial stressor among healthy young adults. Healthy volunteers (N=42) participated in two experimental sessions, one with psychosocial stress (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) and another with a non-stressful task, after receiving 0 (N=13), 7.5mg (N=14) or 12.5mg (N=15) oral THC. Capsules were administered under randomized, double blind conditions, 2.5h before the tasks began. We measured subjective mood and drug effects, vital signs and salivary cortisol before and at repeated times after the capsule and tasks. Subjects also appraised the tasks, before and after completion. In comparison to placebo, 7.5mg THC significantly reduced self-reported subjective distress after the TSST and attenuated post-task appraisals of the TSST as threatening and challenging. By contrast, 12.5mg THC increased negative mood overall i.e., both before and throughout the tasks, and pre-task ratings of the TSST as threatening and challenging. It also impaired TSST performance and attenuated blood pressure reactivity to the stressor. Our findings suggest that a low dose of THC produces subjective stress-relieving effects in line with those commonly reported among cannabis users, but that higher doses may non-specifically increase negative mood.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on cannabis for anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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- Multimodal examination of the acute effects of cannabis on subjective and physiological stress-related outcomes: a randomized placebo-controlled laboratory study. Neuropsychopharmacology August 22, 2026
- Cannabis and Mental Health: A Review. JAMA Internal Medicine May 1, 2026
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Cites 11
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