Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40515781›Full record

ArticlePsychopharmacology2025

Does acute stress induced via cold water immersion increase blood THC concentrations in regular cannabis users?

Danielle McCartney, Jordan Levoux, Rebecca Gordon, Laura Sharman, Katie Walker, Jonathon C Arnold, Iain S McGregor

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
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Article in Psychopharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Danielle McCartneyLambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. danielle.mccartney@sydney.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7783-5220
Jordan LevouxLambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Rebecca GordonLambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Laura SharmanLambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Katie WalkerLambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Jonathon C ArnoldLambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Iain S McGregorLambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleΔ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal intoxicant in cannabis, is a highly lipophilic substance that is readily stored in fat. Preclinical research suggests that fat-stored THC can be released into circulation under lipolytic conditions, such as stress. However, compelling evidence of this phenomenon is lacking in humans.

objectivesHere, we investigated the effects of acute stress on blood (plasma) THC (and 11-COOH-THC) concentrations as well as indices of intoxication (e.g., cognitive function, subjective drug effects) in ‘regular’ (i.e., > 3 days/week) cannabis users.

methodsFifteen volunteers (n = 9 female; cannabis use: 5.0 ± 1.5 days/week) participated in a single-arm (i.e., pre-/post-intervention) trial. The intervention (stressor) was cold water immersion (CWI); specifically, 10 min at ~ 10 °C. Plasma cannabinoid concentrations, cognitive function and subjective drug effects were measured pre-, shortly post- and 2 h post-intervention. Measures of stress (e.g., heart rate [HR], blood pressure [BP], subjective ratings) and lipolysis (i.e., plasma free fatty acid [FFA] and glycerol concentrations) were also obtained.

resultsCWI produced a small but significant stress response, characterised by increased HR and systolic BP and decreased subjective “calmness”. It also increased plasma FFA and glycerol concentrations, albeit modestly. However, neither plasma THC nor 11-COOH-THC concentrations increased from pre- to post-intervention. Cognitive function also remained unchanged, while subjective drug effects were negligible.

conclusionsStress induced via brief CWI does not appear to increase blood cannabinoid concentrations or induce intoxication in moderate cannabis users.

Indexed as

Cold TemperatureDronabinolImmersionStress, PhysiologicalStress, PsychologicalAdultCognitionFemaleHumansMaleYoung AdultDronabinolBiomarkersCannabinoidCognitionDrug testingIce bathImpairmentOral fluidPlasmaPsychomotor

Identifiers

PMID40515781
PMCPMC12675739

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.