Repeated Administration of Cannabis Varying in THC and CBD
Status:
Not yet recruiting
Trial end date:
2030-11-30
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The majority of the >3 million medical cannabis patients in the U.S. use cannabis products to
manage pain but many questions remain. This project is designed to answer three questions
that will fill important voids in the field's understanding of sustained cannabis use: 1) is
abrupt cessation of cannabis associated with increased pain sensitivity; 2) does tolerance
develop to the analgesic and abuse-related effects of repeatedly administered cannabis with
varying ratios of THC and CBD, and is this tolerance reversible following a period of
abstinence; 3) how does repeated cannabis use affect levels of endocannabinoids, and are
these changes associated with changes in pain sensitivity and abuse liability? In this study,
the investigators will enroll participants (N=100 healthy, cannabis-using men and
non-pregnant women, ages 21-65) inpatient for 15 days. They will be randomized to one of four
cannabis conditions (n=25/group). Following a day of standardization on which participants
will receive their assigned cannabis condition (Day 1), cannabis will be administered
repeatedly for 14 days (Day 2-15). The investigators will measure abuse-related effects
("Good Drug Effect"), endocannabinoid levels and two distinct types of experimental pain: The
Cold Pressor Test and Quantitative Sensory Testing Thermal Temporal Summation. Given the
widespread use of cannabis for pain, understanding the consequences of daily repeated
administration of cannabis with THC:CBD ratios that are representative of most medical
cannabis products on pain, abuse liability, and endocannabinoids is imperative.