Snooks T, Stewart S H, Romero-Sanchiz P, DeGrace S, Barrett S P, Bernusky H C R, Tibbo P G
Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5909 Veterans' Memorial Lane, 8th Floor, Abbie J. Lane Memorial Building, QEII Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, NS B3H 2E2, Canada.
Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5909 Veterans' Memorial Lane, 8th Floor, Abbie J. Lane Memorial Building, QEII Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, NS B3H 2E2, Canada; Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Life Sciences Centre (Psychology Wing), P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
Pharmacol Res. 2025 Feb;212:107586. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2025.107586. Epub 2025 Jan 18.
Over the past 20 years, levels of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis have significantly increased, while levels of cannabidiol (CBD) have increased much less in comparison. Cannabis with higher THC potency (commonly assessed via THC:CBD ratio) may increase the risk for cannabis dependence and trigger/exacerbate anxiety. However, few studies of cannabis potency effects on cannabis dependence and anxiety have examined gender moderation. Additionally, there are issues with how cannabis potency is calculated via the THC:CBD ratio that may contribute to inconsistencies in the literature. N = 202 (55.8 % women) recent cannabis users (>1 g in the past month) with trauma histories - a group at high risk for anxiety and cannabis dependence - completed an online survey including a self-report measure of THC and CBD levels in participants' typically-used cannabis product. Cannabis potency was calculated as THC:CBD ratio (THC%/CBD%) and as relative THC proportion (THC%/[THC%+CBD%]). Cannabis dependence and anxiety levels were self-reported on the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test-Revised (CUDIT-R) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), respectively. Consistent with prior findings in the general population, cannabis potency was significantly positively correlated with cannabis dependence, p = .002, and anxiety levels, p = .020, but only when assessed via THC proportion and not THC:CBD ratio. Consistent with prior research, women reported significantly higher anxiety levels but also unexpectedly, higher THC:CBD ratios, than men. No significant gender differences were found in the associations of either potency measure with either outcome variable. Results are consistent with recent reports of gender convergence in cannabis use prevalence. Additionally, these results identify relative THC proportion as a superior predictor of adverse cannabis and anxiety outcomes than the THC:CBD ratio in both men and women.
在过去20年里，大麻中Δ9-四氢大麻酚（THC）的含量显著增加，而相比之下，大麻二酚（CBD）的含量增长要少得多。THC效力较高的大麻（通常通过THC:CBD比率评估）可能会增加大麻依赖的风险，并引发/加剧焦虑。然而，很少有关于大麻效力对大麻依赖和焦虑影响的研究考察了性别调节作用。此外，通过THC:CBD比率计算大麻效力的方式存在问题，这可能导致文献中的不一致。N = 202名（55.8%为女性）近期有大麻使用经历（过去一个月内使用量>1克）且有创伤史的人群——这是一个焦虑和大麻依赖风险较高的群体——完成了一项在线调查，其中包括对参与者通常使用的大麻产品中THC和CBD含量的自我报告测量。大麻效力通过THC:CBD比率（THC%/CBD%）和相对THC比例（THC%/[THC%+CBD%]）来计算。大麻依赖和焦虑水平分别通过修订后的大麻使用障碍识别测试（CUDIT-R）和广泛性焦虑障碍-7（GAD-7）进行自我报告。与之前在普通人群中的研究结果一致，大麻效力与大麻依赖显著正相关，p = 0.002，与焦虑水平显著正相关，p = 0.020，但仅在通过THC比例而非THC:CBD比率评估时成立。与之前的研究一致，女性报告的焦虑水平显著更高，但出乎意料的是，女性的THC:CBD比率也更高。在两种效力测量与任何一个结果变量的关联中，未发现显著的性别差异。研究结果与近期关于大麻使用流行率性别趋同的报告一致。此外，这些结果表明，相对于THC:CBD比率，相对THC比例是男性和女性中大麻不良影响和焦虑结果的更优预测指标。
