Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Cannabis is one of the most commonly used addictive drugs, with an estimated 192 million users worldwide. With the recent legalization of non-medical cannabis in Canada, regulators, policy makers, law enforcement and health care professionals lack adequate scientific guidance to effectively regulate cannabis use and educate the public. Robust research is required to minimize harm, leverage the benefits of legalization and protect individuals. The primary psychoactive component of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) affects men and women differently. Previous research has demonstrated sex related differences in cannabis use, abuse, methods of consumption and reasons for therapeutic use. Additionally, THC has differential effects in men and women in terms of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, subjective effects, abuse liability and therapeutic potential. The mechanisms of these underlying sex differences are unclear and narrowly researched. I hope to examine pharmacological sex differences in how men and women use and abuse cannabis. In order to examine these differences, various doses, potencies, and routes of administration will be utilized in healthy volunteers to better understand how sex differences in THC pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics underlie behavioural differences produced by cannabis in men and women. With the recent legalization of cannabis and the rapid emergence of new cannabis products (e.g., edibles, drinkables, oils, concentrates), cannabis use and abuse are expected to increase across Canadian society, particularly among vulnerable populations such as youth. This research can help to proactively create sex-dependent guidelines for use, better individualized treatment options for cannabis use disorder, and mitigate risk factors associated with cannabis use that differ for males and females, in order to protect the health of our population.