Acute Psychotropic Effects of Oral Cannabis Extract with a Defined Content of Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in Healthy Volunteers

Abstract

Orally administered cannabis produced significant central depressant side-effects compared to diazepam, mostly subjective effects (VAS) but marginal effects in psychomotor performance in 15 healthy females. Regarding the medical use of cannabis, a rigorous benefit-risk analysis and an exact psychiatric assessment before and during treatment are necessary.

Mechanisms Underlying Sex Differences in Cannabis Use

“…Women have reported greater sedative effects [46] and dizziness [49] compared to men in response to cannabis, though amount of cannabis per body weight was not adjusted. Women also responded to cannabis extract with significantly greater fatigue, drowsiness, and psychomotor suppression compared to women treated with placebo [50]. …”

“…In a female-only study, cannabis exposure increased ratings of confusion among regular and intermittent cannabis users, although this effect was stronger among intermittent users [45]. Other female-only work has demonstrated increased psychiatrist-rated scores of poor affective response and emotional withdrawal in drug-naïve females [50]. …”

“…Another study showed that cannabis craving was correlated with self-reported depression, and when depression was held as a covariate, greater craving scores emerged for males compared to females [161]. Further, cannabis-dependent males in a separate study exhibited greater feelings of “down” in response to cannabis cues compared to females [162], and as previously mentioned, cannabis-naïve females showed increased, cannabis-induced, psychiatrist-rated poor affective response and emotional withdrawal [50]. While the literature is mixed, it seems apparent that gender differences exist, and additional work is needed to understand mechanisms contributing to these patterns.…”

Gone to Pot – A Review of the Association between Cannabis and Psychosis

“…Additionally, cannabis and THC also result in depersonalization, derealization, alterations in sensory perception, and feelings of unreality. These effects have consistently been demonstrated with smoked cannabis, oral cannabis extract/THC (dose range 5–20 mg), intravenous THC (dose range 0.015–0.03 mg/kg), and intrapulmonary administration via a vaporizer (32, 73, 89, 92, 94–99). In the first study of its kind in a carefully controlled laboratory setting, D’Souza et al (89), administered intravenous THC in two doses (2.5 and 5 mg), in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study in healthy adults ( n  = 22).…”

“…Cannabis extract containing predetermined quantities of THC (93, 94) and THC alone (32, 73, 89, 92, 94–99) have been shown to produce a range of transient, positive symptoms, that are qualitatively similar to the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. These symptoms include suspiciousness, paranoid and grandiose delusions, conceptual disorganization, fragmented thinking, and perceptual alterations.…”