Cannabis affects women differently than men.
A new animal study reveals that cannabis use affects men and women differently by examining the influence of sex hormones.
The study that has been published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience It reveals that the response to cannabis according to sex is not only sociocultural but also biological, analyzing the influence of sex hormones (testosterone, estradiol and progesterone) on the person's endocannabinoid system.
Liana Fattore, a researcher at the Italian National Research Council and president of the Mediterranean Society for Neuroscience, as well as co-author of the study, states that the effects of sex hormones and anabolic steroids on cannabinoid self-administration in animal studies have facilitated the understanding of the response to cannabis according to sex differences.
A woman's menstrual cycle and age are influential factors.
The study explains that men are up to four times more likely to try cannabis and consume higher doses more frequently because male sex steroids such as testosterone and nandrolone increase risky behavior and override the brain's reward system.
Women are more likely to become addicted, as they develop the habit more quickly and this can more easily lead to the development of a cannabis use disorder.
Tests conducted on female rats have shown that they have more sensitive receptors in key brain areas related to motor control, social behavior, and the filtering of sensory information—all functions linked to the female hormone estradiol. These differences in receptor sensitivity have also been found to change throughout the menstrual cycle.
Human data indicate that estradiol regulates the female response to cannabinoids, although in studies the effects varied depending on the animal strain, the cannabinoid studied, and the duration of exposure to the hormone.
Brain levels of cannabinoid receptors increase with age in women, and blood levels of the enzymes that break down cannabinoids vary throughout the menstrual cycle.
It is believed that these studies on differences in response to cannabis based on sex can aid in detoxification treatments and prevention strategies. They will also help optimize personalized protocols for addiction, both in prevention and treatment.
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