WSU study: Women might be more sensitive to marijuana than men
Sep 3, 2014, 12:51 PM | Updated: 5:23 pm
Research at Washington State University suggests hormones might make women more sensitive than men to the active ingredient in marijuana. (AP photo)
(AP photo)
Research at Washington State University suggests hormones might make women more sensitive than men to the active ingredient in marijuana.
The study is the first to examine how the genders react differently to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
The research found female rats are at least 30 percent more sensitive than males to THC. Psychology professor Rebecca Craft also found that female rats develop tolerance to the pain-relieving qualities of marijuana more quickly than males. That could make females more susceptible to side effects, such as anxiety, paranoia, and addiction.
THC concentrations are double or triple those seen in the 1960s and 70s, said Craft.
The research was funded in part by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and findings were published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Craft’s THC research found a clear spike in drug sensitivity when females are ovulating and estrogen levels peak.
Researchers found that a low dose of THC did not impact the reproductive cycle in female rats, something that Craft thinks needs more study.
