Effect of oral THC pretreatment on marijuana cue-induced responses in cannabis dependent volunteers.
BACKGROUND
The current study tested whether oral Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC: 0-, 10-, and 20-mg) pretreatment would attenuate polysensory cue-induced craving for marijuana.


METHODS
Cannabis dependent participants (7 males and 7 females, who smoked on average 5.4 ± 1.1 blunts daily) completed 3 experimental sessions (oral THC pretreatment dose; counterbalanced order) using a placebo-controlled within-subject crossover design. During each session, participants completed a baseline evaluation and were first exposed to neutral cues then marijuana cues while physiological measures and subjective ratings of mood, craving, and drug effect were recorded.


RESULTS
Following placebo oral THC pretreatment, marijuana (vs. neutral) cues significantly increased ratings of marijuana craving (desire and urge to use, Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ)-Compulsivity scale), anxious mood and feeling hungry. Males also reported feeling more "Down" during marijuana cues relative to females. Pretreatment with oral THC (10-mg and/or 20-mg vs. placebo) significantly attenuated marijuana cue-induced increases in craving and anxiety but not hunger. Oral THC attenuation of the cue-induced increase in MCQ-Compulsivity ratings was observed in females only. Oral THC produced statistically (but not clinically) significant increases in heart rate and decreases in diastolic blood pressure, independent of cues.


CONCLUSIONS
These marijuana-cue findings replicate earlier results and further demonstrate that oral THC can attenuate selected effects during marijuana multi-cue exposure, and that some of these effects may be sex-related. Results of this study suggest oral THC may be effective for reducing marijuana cue-elicited (conditioned) effects. Further study is needed to determine whether females may selectively benefit from oral THC for this purpose.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: llundahl@med.wayne.edu.
Leslie H
LH
Lundahl
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
Mark K
MK
Greenwald
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects*; D001007:Anxiety; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D063386:Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D066249:Craving / Q000187:drug effects*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003463:Cues; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
D063386:Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists; D013759:Dronabinol
Cannabis dependence; Craving; Cues; Dronabinol; Marijuana; THC