Hormonal birth control may dampen how strongly women's brains react to cannabis cues
Among 152 frequent cannabis users, women on hormonal contraceptives showed weaker neural responses to cannabis cues than naturally cycling women or men, suggesting hormonal status may influence cannabis cue reactivity.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Males and naturally cycling females showed significantly greater neural enhancement (LPP amplitude) to cannabis vs. neutral cues compared to females using hormonal contraceptives. Craving was higher in naturally cycling females than males in unadjusted analyses.
Key Numbers
152 participants: 74 males, 26 naturally cycling females, 52 females on hormonal contraceptives. Hormonal contraceptive users showed significantly reduced LPP enhancement to cannabis cues. Exploratory analyses suggested a progesterone-related mechanism.
How They Did This
As part of a larger study, 152 adults reporting frequent cannabis use completed a drug cue reactivity task during EEG recording. Late positive potential (LPP) amplitude was used to measure neural reactivity to cannabis vs. neutral images. Compared males (n=74), naturally cycling females (n=26), and hormonal contraceptive-using females (n=52).
Why This Research Matters
Drug cue reactivity predicts relapse and continued use. If hormonal contraceptives dampen cannabis cue reactivity, this could help explain mixed findings in sex difference research and point toward hormonal mechanisms in cannabis use disorder.
The Bigger Picture
Sex differences in addiction are increasingly recognized, but hormonal contraceptive use is rarely accounted for. This study suggests that ignoring contraceptive status may obscure real biological differences in how men and women respond to drug cues.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Unequal group sizes, with a small naturally cycling female group (n=26). Cross-sectional design. Craving differences did not survive covariate adjustment. Exploratory hormonal mechanism analyses need replication.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would progesterone-based treatments reduce cannabis cue reactivity and craving in women trying to quit?
- ?Should future addiction studies routinely account for hormonal contraceptive use?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Hormonal contraceptive users showed reduced neural cannabis cue reactivity
- Evidence Grade:
- EEG-based experimental study with a novel hormonal contraceptive comparison, but limited by small group sizes and cross-sectional design.
- Study Age:
- 2024 study of frequent adult cannabis users.
- Original Title:
- Biological sex and hormonal contraceptive associations with drug cue reactivity in cannabis use disorder.
- Published In:
- Journal of psychiatric research, 174, 121-128 (2024)
- Authors:
- Macatee, Richard J(3), Cannon, Mallory J, Schermitzler, Brandon S(2), Preston, Thomas J, Afshar, Kaveh
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05499
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
How did hormonal birth control affect cannabis cue reactivity?
Women on hormonal contraceptives showed significantly weaker neural responses (LPP amplitude) to cannabis cues compared to both naturally cycling women and men.
Did men and women differ in craving?
Naturally cycling women reported higher craving than men after the cue task, but this difference disappeared after adjusting for covariates.
What might explain this effect?
Exploratory analyses pointed to a progesterone-related mechanism, suggesting that the hormonal profile maintained by contraceptives may reduce how strongly the brain reacts to cannabis cues.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- cannabis-cardiovascular-heart-risk-stroke
- cannabis-heart-cardiovascular-risk
- coughing-up-stuff-after-quitting-weed
- lung-recovery-after-quitting-smoking-weed
- lung-recovery-quitting-weed
- quitting-weed-female-hormones
- quitting-weed-weight-gain-loss-diet-appetite
- sex-after-quitting-weed
- weed-DUI-driving-impaired-cannabis-laws
- weed-acne-skin
- weed-fertility-sperm
- weed-gut-digestion-problems
- weed-heart-health
- weed-testosterone-levels
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05499APA
Macatee, Richard J; Cannon, Mallory J; Schermitzler, Brandon S; Preston, Thomas J; Afshar, Kaveh. (2024). Biological sex and hormonal contraceptive associations with drug cue reactivity in cannabis use disorder.. Journal of psychiatric research, 174, 121-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.04.016
MLA
Macatee, Richard J, et al. "Biological sex and hormonal contraceptive associations with drug cue reactivity in cannabis use disorder.." Journal of psychiatric research, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.04.016
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Biological sex and hormonal contraceptive associations with ..." RTHC-05499. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/macatee-2024-biological-sex-and-hormonal
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.