Sex Hormones Impact on Cannabis Response

Cannabis consumption is increasing globally due to legalization and therapeutic use, prompting concerns about its impact on daily functioning and long-term effects. While research has explored cannabis' risks, the heightened vulnerability of females to its adverse effects has been overlooked. Women experience stronger acute negative reactions and progress to cannabis use disorder faster than men. This gender disparity is likely due to sex hormone (SH) fluctuations related to menstrual cycles, emphasizing the need to study cannabis' differential impact on females to address gender-specific risks and inform treatment approaches. Acute influences of cannabis (300 μg THC/kg bodyweight) on subjective state and cognition will be assessed at three different stages of the menstrual cycle, and compared to a placebo condition in a double-blind, randomized, within-subject study in occasional cannabis using biological females. Primary Objective: To assess the acute subjective drug effects (good/bad drug effect, drug liking/wanting, anxiety), cognition (attention, working memory, information processing speed, verbal memory, verbal fluency, motor inhibition), and pharmacokinetics of cannabis in females across 3 different phases of the menstrual cycle, compared to a placebo condition. Secondary Objective(s): to assess the acute effects of cannabis on interoception and pain, in females across 3 different phases of the menstrual cycle, compared to a placebo condition. Tertiary Objective(s): to assess the acute effects of cannabis on metacognition and expression of inflammatory markers in females across 3 different phases of the menstrual cycle, compared to a placebo condition.