Study: THC affects teenage girls more than teenage boys

The THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, affects women differently than men, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by the Weill Cornell Medical College A study conducted on adolescent mice reveals that, due to a common variation in the human genome, adolescent girls are increasingly sensitive to cannabis.

«Our study shows that a variant of the FAAH gene, found in about one-third of people, increases vulnerability to THC in women and has a widespread impact on the brain regions and pathways responsible for reward processing. »Our findings suggest that genetics may be a contributing factor to increased susceptibility to cannabis dependence in certain populations,” said Dr. Caitlin Burgdorf, a recent Ph.D. graduate from the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences and lead author of the study titled «Genetic Variation in Endocannabinoids Increases Vulnerability to THC Reward in Adolescent Girls.».

The endocannabinoid system regulates the activity of cannabinoids in the body and maintains the balance of many vital functions. The endocannabinoid system is sensitive to the effects of cannabis because it is naturally designed to process the natural cannabinoids produced by the human body.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) thus regulates the effects of natural cannabinoids such as’anandamide. The study found that in adolescent female mice, due to a genetic variation, FAAH breaks down more easily, which increases anandamide levels in the brain. The mice then prefer an environment containing THC to a neutral environment. The study also reveals that women, in general, are more sensitive to the effects of cannabis, which can lead to addiction.

According to researchers, genetic variations also lead to an increase in connections between the brain's reward-processing areas.

«We are getting a little closer to a precise understanding of how neurodevelopmental and genetic factors play interdependent roles in increasing susceptibility to cannabis dependence,» said Dr. Francis Lee, chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine.

The authors also stated that further research could reveal the genetic factors responsible for the cannabis addiction.