Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Oct:63:100945.
doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100945. Epub 2021 Aug 28.

A review of the effects of acute and chronic cannabinoid exposure on the stress response

Nicholas C Glodosky  1 , Carrie Cuttler  2 , Ryan J McLaughlin  3
Affiliations
Review

A review of the effects of acute and chronic cannabinoid exposure on the stress response

Nicholas C Glodosky et al. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2021 Oct.

Abstract

While cannabis has been used for centuries for its stress-alleviating properties, the effects of acute and chronic cannabinoid exposure on responses to stress remain poorly understood. This review provides an overview of studies that measured stress-related endpoints following acute or chronic cannabinoid exposure in humans and animals. Acute cannabinoid exposure increases basal concentrations of stress hormones in rodents and humans and has dose-dependent effects on stress reactivity in humans and anxiety-like behavior in rodents. Chronic cannabis exposure is associated with dampened stress reactivity, a blunted cortisol awakening response (CAR), and flattened diurnal cortisol slope in humans. Sex differences in these effects remain underexamined, with limited evidence for sex differences in effects of cannabinoids on stress reactivity in rodents. Future research is needed to better understand sex differences in the effects of cannabis on the stress response, as well as downstream impacts on mental health and stress-related disorders.

Keywords: Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Cortisol; HPA axis; Sex differences; Stress; Stress reactivity; THC.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Interest: None

References

    1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5).
    1. American Psychological Association. (2017). Stress and health disparities: Contexts, mechanisms, and interventions among racial/ethnic minority and low socioeconomic status populations. Retrieved on March 16, 2021 from http://www.apa.org/pi/health-disparities/resources/stress-report.aspx
    1. American Psychological Association. (2019). Stress in America 2019. Retrieved on March 16, 2021 from https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2019/stress-america-2019.pdf
    1. Androvicova R, Horacek J, Tintera J, Hlinka J, Rydlo J, Jezova D, Balikova M, Hlozek T, Miksatkova P, Kuchar M, Roman M, Tomicek P, Tyls F, Viktorinova M, & Palenicek T (2017). Individual prolactin reactivity modulates response of nucleus accumbens to erotic stimuli during acute cannabis intoxication: An fMRI pilot study. Psychopharmacology, 234, 1933–1943. 10.1007/s00213-017-4601-1 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Atwood BK, Mackie K (2010). CB2: a cannabinoid receptor with an identity crisis. Br J Pharmacol, 160(3), 467–479. 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.00729.x - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types