Cannabis research: Male occasional users feel stronger effects than females
A new UCLA study indicates that frequency of use, rather than sex alone, determines the intensity of marijuana's physiological impact.
By Nia Foster ·
For millions of Americans who consume cannabis, the physical response to a joint or vape has often been treated as a universal experience. New research from UCLA Health suggests that assumption may be incorrect, particularly for men who do not use the drug daily.
The study, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, examined how 44 healthy adults between the ages of 21 and 55 reacted to varying doses of THC. The participant pool was evenly split by gender. Researchers categorized individuals based on their self-reported usage frequency, creating distinct groups of frequent and occasional users.
During the experimental phase, each participant underwent three separate sessions. In each instance, they smoked cannabis containing either no THC, a lower dose of THC, or a higher dose. The participants were unaware of which formulation they were receiving at the time of consumption.
Among the occasional users, a distinct divergence emerged between the sexes. Men reported feeling more intoxicated, sedated, and impaired compared to women with similar usage habits. The male participants also cited more unpleasant side effects, including higher levels of anxiety. Additionally, their heart rates increased more sharply following the administration of active cannabis.
Blood tests showed that the actual levels of THC in the participants' systems did not fully account for these disparities. The pattern shifted significantly for those who used cannabis more often. Men and women in the frequent user group responded to the active cannabis in similar ways, with no clear gender-based divide in reported effects.
Frequent users, regardless of gender, were more likely to express enjoyment of the effects and desire to consume cannabis again. This group also chose to take more of the substance during the study. These findings challenge earlier research that suggested women are inherently more sensitive to the drug's effects.
Dr. Ziva Cooper, the study's principal investigator and director of the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, noted that previous conclusions often relied on animal data or pooled human trials. When the team designed this experiment to control for hormones and examine sex and usage frequency simultaneously, the results differed. The researchers specifically accounted for menstrual cycle timing among female participants who were not using hormonal birth control.
Lead author Dr. Stephanie Lake emphasized that both biological sex and usage history shape the cannabis experience. However, the study had limitations. With only 44 participants, the sample size was small, and some findings regarding occasional male users came from exploratory analyses. The cannabis used in the trial contained 4% or 10% THC, which is weaker than many modern products that commonly exceed 20% THC. The researchers stated that larger studies are needed to confirm these results and understand how tolerance develops differently across genders.
