Women had significantly higher CBD blood levels than men after taking the same dose
In a 12-week crossover trial, women showed significantly higher plasma CBD concentrations than men, potentially related to differences in body fat distribution.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 62 hypertensive volunteers in a triple-blind placebo-controlled crossover study, females had significantly higher plasma CBD concentrations than males after receiving the same DehydraTECH2.0 CBD formulation. CBD was still detectable in plasma 50 days after the last dose.
Key Numbers
62 hypertensive volunteers; 12-week study duration; CBD detectable 50 days after last dose; plasma CBD/7-OH-CBD ratio significantly higher at week 5 vs week 2.5 (P=0.043); urine 7-COOH-CBD significantly higher at same timepoints (P<0.001)
How They Did This
Triple-blind (participant, investigator, outcome assessor) placebo-controlled crossover study with 62 hypertensive volunteers randomized to CBD formulation or placebo over 12 weeks. Plasma and urine analyzed for CBD and metabolites at multiple timepoints.
Why This Research Matters
Most CBD dosing recommendations do not account for sex differences. If women consistently achieve higher blood levels from the same dose, this has implications for both efficacy and safety.
The Bigger Picture
Sex-based differences in drug metabolism are well-documented for many pharmaceuticals but understudied for cannabinoids. These findings suggest CBD dosing may eventually need to be tailored by sex.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Used a specific proprietary CBD formulation (DehydraTECH2.0) that may not generalize to other products. Participants were hypertensive, limiting generalizability to healthy populations. Sex difference mechanism (adipose tissue) was hypothesized but not directly measured.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do sex-based CBD concentration differences translate to different therapeutic outcomes?
- ?Should CBD dosing guidelines account for biological sex?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- CBD still detectable in blood 50 days after last dose
- Evidence Grade:
- Well-designed triple-blind RCT with crossover design, though used a specific proprietary formulation and a hypertensive population.
- Study Age:
- Published 2023
- Original Title:
- Differences in Plasma Cannabidiol Concentrations in Women and Men: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study.
- Published In:
- International journal of molecular sciences, 24(12) (2023)
- Authors:
- Batinic, Ana, Sutlovic, Davorka, Kuret, Sendi, Burcul, Franko, Kalajzic, Nina, Matana, Antonela, Dujic, Goran, Vrdoljak, Josip, Kumric, Marko, Bozic, Josko, Dujic, Zeljko
- Database ID:
- RTHC-04404
Evidence Hierarchy
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or placebo groups to test cause and effect.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do women absorb CBD differently than men?
This trial found women had significantly higher plasma CBD concentrations than men after taking the same dose, possibly because CBD is fat-soluble and women typically have greater adipose tissue.
How long does CBD stay in your system?
In this study, plasma CBD levels were still detectable 50 days after participants stopped taking the CBD formulation.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-04404APA
Batinic, Ana; Sutlovic, Davorka; Kuret, Sendi; Burcul, Franko; Kalajzic, Nina; Matana, Antonela; Dujic, Goran; Vrdoljak, Josip; Kumric, Marko; Bozic, Josko; Dujic, Zeljko. (2023). Differences in Plasma Cannabidiol Concentrations in Women and Men: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study.. International journal of molecular sciences, 24(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241210273
MLA
Batinic, Ana, et al. "Differences in Plasma Cannabidiol Concentrations in Women and Men: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study.." International journal of molecular sciences, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241210273
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Differences in Plasma Cannabidiol Concentrations in Women an..." RTHC-04404. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/batinic-2023-differences-in-plasma-cannabidiol
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.