People who frequently use cannabis may begin the day with higher levels of cortisol than those who do not use it, according to new research from Oregon State University.
This study highlights a possible connection between cannabis, stress and cortisol in regular users.
Cortisol is a hormone made by the adrenal glands. Often called the “stress hormone” because the body releases it in response to stress, cortisol helps the body fight infection, maintain blood pressure, and regulate blood sugar and metabolism. In the short term, cortisol helps the body cope with stressful situations. However, cortisol levels that remain elevated for long periods can have negative health effects and have been associated with greater risks of anxiety, depression and heart disease.
Stress is one of the main reasons people report using cannabis, and it is also associated with problematic patterns of use. Although cannabis can provide temporary relief from stress, the researchers say frequent use over time could potentially interfere with the biological systems that regulate the stress response.
Led by Anita Cservenka of the OSU College of Liberal Arts, the research is among the relatively few studies to investigate how frequent cannabis use relates to the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, the major neuroendocrine system responsible for coordinating the body’s response to stress. The researchers found that people who frequently used cannabis already had more cortisol circulating in their bodies when they woke up.
Cservenka said it is reasonable to consider the possibility that frequent cannabis users may experience disruptions in their normal daily stress rhythms. Such changes could potentially contribute to a feedback cycle in which a poorly regulated stress system encourages further cannabis use.
What is Cannabis?
Cannabis is a plant. The main psychoactive cannabinoid in the cannabis plant is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). It’s the component in cannabis that makes you feel ‘high’. The THC extracted from a cannabis plant can come in many different forms, from food to capsules.
Cannabis is a cannabinoid. Cannabinoids include any drug that acts on the cannabinoid receptors in the body’s endocannabinoid system, and any natural or synthetic (lab produced) drug that is made from, or related to, the cannabis plant. The endocannabinoid system helps to regulate many functions, including the immune system, mood and emotions, memory, sleep and appetite.
Medical cannabis is prescribed to relieve the symptoms of chronic or cancer-related pain, multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, and a range of other health condition. In Australia, medicinal cannabis is legal with a doctor’s prescription, regulated nationally by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Meanwhile, recreational cannabis remains strictly illegal under federal law and in all states and territories, with the sole exception of the Australian Capital Territory.
