The cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist rimonabant attenuates the hypotensive effect of smoked marijuana in male smokers.
David A. Gorelick, Stephen J Heishman, Kenzie L Preston, Richard A Nelson, Eric T Moolchan, Marilyn A. Huestis
American heart journal March 2006 DOI: 10.1016/j.ahj.2005.11.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 63 |
| Population | Male cannabis smokers (mean age 27.7 years, 70% African American, mean 10.3 years of lifetime cannabis use) |
| Intervention | Rimonabant |
| Dose | escalating oral doses of rimonabant: 1, 3, 10, 30, 90 mg; marijuana cigarette containing 2.64% THC |
| Duration | Blood pressure and symptoms monitored for 90 minutes after smoking; marijuana smoked 2 and 6 hours after rimonabant dosing |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Marijuana smoking alone had no consistent effect on blood pressure, but 22% of subjects experienced symptomatic hypotension; no subject pretreated with 30 or 90 mg rimonabant experienced symptomatic hypotension. Subjects with symptomatic hypotension had higher mean peak plasma THC concentrations (181.6 ng/mL) than those without (109.0 ng/mL). The authors indicate that CB1 receptors play a role in mediating cannabis smoking effects on blood pressure in humans. |
Abstract
Animal studies suggest that cannabinoid CB1 receptors play a role in regulating blood pressure (BP). In human studies, activation of CB1 receptors by cannabis or its active ingredient, Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has modest and inconsistent effects on BP. We evaluated this phenomenon in 63 male cannabis smokers (mean [SD] age 27.7 +/- 5.4 years, 70% African American, 10.3 +/- 5.9 years of lifetime cannabis use) by administering escalating oral doses (1, 3, 10, 30, 90 mg) of the selective CB1 receptor antagonist rimonabant (or placebo) in a randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Subjects smoked an active (2.64% THC) or placebo marijuana cigarette 2 and 6 hours after rimonabant dosing. Blood pressure and symptoms were monitored for 90 minutes after smoking while subjects remained seated. Marijuana smoking alone (ie, after placebo rimonabant) had no consistent effect on BP, but 22% of subjects experienced symptomatic (dizziness, lightheadedness) hypotension, as did 20% to 33% of subjects who received pretreatment with rimonabant, 1, 3, or 10 mg. No subject receiving rimonabant, 30 or 90 mg, before marijuana smoking experienced symptomatic hypotension. The 7 subjects who experienced symptomatic hypotension had significantly higher mean (SD) peak plasma THC concentrations (181.6 +/- 80.2) than did the 33 subjects who did not (109.0 +/- 62.6). Rimonabant by itself had no effects on BP and did not alter THC pharmacokinetics. These findings indicate that CB1 receptors play a role in mediating effects of cannabis smoking on BP in humans.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Functional brain connectomes reflect acute and chronic cannabis use Scientific Reports February 14, 2022
- Mechanisms Contributing to Cognitive Deficits in Cannabis Users Neuropharmacology April 14, 2017
- Prenatal cannabis exposure - The "first hit" to the endocannabinoid system. Neurotoxicology and Teratology 2016
- Δ(9)Tetrahydrocannabinol impairs reversal learning but not extra-dimensional shifts in rhesus macaques. Neuroscience April 3, 2013
- Substitution profile of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, triazolam, hydromorphone, and methylphenidate in humans discriminating Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Psychopharmacology April 2009
and 2 more in the library
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