Oral THC Abstinence Affected Mood, Sleep and Eating in a Residential Human Study
A residential study of marijuana smokers found abstinence-related changes in mood, sleep and eating after repeated oral THC. Tolerance during administration was selective: subjective effects weakened while food-intake and social-behavior effects persisted.
The study controlled repeated administration
Six men and six women participated in a 20-day residential protocol with active oral THC and placebo periods. THC was administered four times daily during two active periods. The lower doses discussed in the paper were lower than earlier high-dose research, not a claim that the regimen was low-risk or equivalent to an ordinary consumer dose.
Different effects did not become tolerant together
Active THC increased positive subjective ratings and food intake while reducing verbal interaction. Tolerance developed to subjective ratings but not to eating or social behavior in the reported comparisons. Reduced feelings of intoxication therefore did not imply disappearance of every observable effect.
Abstinence differed from the placebo baseline
During abstinence, anxiety, depressed-mood and irritability ratings increased. Reported sleep quantity and quality decreased, as did food intake. These were observations within an established-smoker sample and a controlled repeated-dose protocol, not estimates of withdrawal prevalence among all cannabis users.
The experiment supports dependence-related changes after repeated oral THC under specified conditions. It does not establish that everyone develops the same symptoms or severity. Its distinct value is the combined observation of selective tolerance during exposure and mood, sleep and dietary changes after active dosing ended.
Related: interpreting cannabis tolerance claims.
Research cited
Haney M; Ward AS; Comer SD; Foltin RW; Fischman MW. Abstinence symptoms following oral THC administration to humans. Psychopharmacology (1999). doi:10.1007/s002130050848. Findings discussed from the study abstract.
