14 DAY TRIAL // Researchers with Washington State University in the US say that, when compared to men, women are more likely to abuse cannabis and become addicted to smoking this weed.
Writing in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the scientists explain that this is because estrogen, the primary female hormone, makes then more sensitive to the active ingredient in cannabis.
The researchers base their claim that women have higher chances to become a bit too fond of cannabis for their own good is based on data obtained while carrying out a series of experiments on laboratory rats.
During these experiments, both male and female rodents were exposed to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the active ingredient in cannabis, the Washington State University specialists detail in their paper.
It was discovered that the female rats were 30% more sensitive to the pain-relieving qualities of this compound. What's more, the lady rodents were found to develop THC tolerance faster than the males did, Science Daily informs.
The researchers believe that their findings also hold true in the case of humans, and argue that their study explains why it is that side effects linked to cannabis abuse, i.e. anxiety, paranoia, and addiction, are more common in women.
Besides, the specialists maintain that, due to the fact that they are more sensitive to cannabis to begin with, women are more likely to relapse when trying to kick the habit of smoking this weed and experience irritability, sleep disruption, and loss of appetite when in withdrawal.
What's interesting is that, according to this team of Washington State University researchers, women living in this day and age are more likely to be negatively affected by cannabis than the ones who used this drug in the 1960s or 1970s.
This is because the cannabis currently grown and distributed in various regions packs significantly more THC than the one available only a few decades ago. As explained by specialist Rebecca Craft, “Marijuana is very different than it was 40 years ago.”
Furthermore, “It's much higher in THC and lower in cannabidiol, so a little bit goes a very long way. We're more likely to see negative side effects today like anxiety, confusion, panic attacks, hallucinations or extreme paranoia. And women are at higher risk.”
As detailed in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, men too are influenced by cannabis in a way specific to their gender. In a nutshell, evidence at hand indicates that, when exposed to THC, men are more likely to become terribly hungry. Otherwise put, they are more vulnerable to the so-called munchies effect.