THC increases heart rate and anxiety in healthy young women in a dose-dependent manner Original paper

Despite its apparent calming effects, cannabis and its main psychoactive constituent, THC, can also produce adverse effects, including anxiety and tachycardia, especially in women.^[1] Because women are often excluded from clinical cannabinoid research, there is a need for research in this population to better understand the sex-related physiological and subjective effects of THC.

In this randomized controlled crossover trial, 37 healthy women (average age of 24) who were also occasional cannabis users participated in three experimental sessions and received one of the following: 7.5 milligrams of oral THC, 15 milligrams of oral THC, or a placebo.

During the 4-hour sessions, heart rate, blood pressure, pre-ejection period (PEP, a measure of sympathetic heart activity), high-frequency heart rate variability (HRV, a measure of parasympathetic heart activity), and subjective measures of feeling "a drug effect" were assessed.

Compared to the placebo, THC increased heart rate and decreased HRV in a dose-dependent manner, indicating an effect on parasympathetic heart activity. However, THC did not affect blood pressure or PEP. THC also increased subjective ratings of cannabis-like intoxication effects and anxiety in a dose-dependent manner.

This study included healthy young women in the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle who used cannabis at least 4 times in their life but less than 11 times in the past 30 days. As such, the results may not be generalizable to other populations (e.g., men, women in the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle, and chronic cannabis users).