Effects of Pregnancy-associated Hormones on THC Metabolism in Women
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2023-12-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Cannabis use is prevalent among pregnant women, but the effects of use on both the developing
fetus and pregnant woman are unknown. Importantly, drug exposure could be influenced by the
impact of pregnancy-associated hormones on the metabolism of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the
main psychoactive component of cannabis. The goal of this study is to determine whether
cortisol and estradiol - hormones that rise dramatically during pregnancy - increase the
clearance of dronabinol (THC) in reproductive age women to simulate the pregnant state. The
collected data will then be used to predict the time course and magnitude of changes in THC
metabolism in pregnant women, particularly with gradually increasing estradiol and cortisol
concentrations that evolve over the course of pregnancy. The overall objective of this study
is to better understand the effects of THC use during pregnancy on the health of the pregnant
woman and developing fetus.