Response to Cannabis Varies Greatly Between Men and Women

Why Does cannabis affect men and women differently? Hormones could be the reason behind it, finds a new study.

The brain studies showed that sex differences in response to cannabis are not just socio-cultural, but biological too.

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‘It has been found that both men and women differ not only in the prevalence and frequency of cannabis use but also in the vulnerability to develop cannabis use disorder. Women were found to be more vulnerable, at a neurochemical level, in developing an addiction to cannabis. ’

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The findings showed that men are up to four times more likely to try cannabis and use higher doses, more frequently.

"Male sex steroids increase risk-taking behavior and suppress the brain's reward system which could explain why males are more likely to try drugs including cannabis," said Liana Fattore, Senior Researcher at the National Research Council of Italy.

"This is true for both natural male sex steroids like testosterone and synthetic steroids like nandrolone."

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But despite lower average cannabis use, women go from first hit to habit faster than men.

In fact, men and women differ not only in the prevalence and frequency of cannabis use, pattern and reasons for use but also in the vulnerability to develop cannabis use disorder.

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"Females seem to be more vulnerable, at a neurochemical level, in developing an addiction to cannabis," Fattore explained, in the paper published in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.

"As a result, the interactions between the endocannabinoid system and the brain level of dopamine -- the neurotransmitter of "pleasure" and "reward" are sex-dependent."

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The inconsistency of conditions in these studies greatly complicates interpretation of an already complex role of sex hormones in the endocannabinoid system and cannabinoid sensitivity.

However, the human data so far is consistent with the idea that oestradiol regulates the female response to cannabinoids.

As in animals, human males and females are diverse in their genetic and hormonally driven, and they process information differently, perceive emotions in different ways and are differently vulnerable to develop a drug addiction.

"Blood levels of enzymes which break down cannabinoids fluctuate across the human menstrual cycle, and imaging studies show that brain levels of cannabinoid receptors increase with aging in females -- mirroring in each case changes in oestradiol levels," Fattore said.

Source-IANS