Gender Bender: Does Weed Affect Men and Women Differently?

According to some available data, about half of Americans have tried weed, with 22 million saying they have smoked pot at least once in the last month. Three-quarters of those pot smokers are men, so, as it turns out, when it comes to smoking marijuana, men are outperforming women by a landslide. However, with the advancing legalisation of medical and recreational cannabis, weed culture has been changing.

The gap between men's use of weed and women's is increasingly shrinking, especially when it comes to medical cannabis. With this change, researchers have found that cannabis, just like other drugs, may affect women and men differently. For years, health professionals have been trying to resolve the mystery behind how women respond to weed and how they might differ from men in that aspect.

How's Different Smoking Weed Between Men and Women?

Recent research observing the phenomenon between the sexes to find the difference in how cannabinoids affect women and men, specifically in neurotransmitter and hormone functions, found rather exciting results.

The effects of weed on women

Researchers have discovered that women appear to be more sensitive to cannabinoids and are more likely to develop an addiction to the drug.

A 2015 study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that women demonstrate more pronounced withdrawal symptoms such as gastrointestinal pain, anxiety, irritation and an overall higher level of discomfort than men.  However, women may have a ‘better high’ and increased sensation of confidence after using the drug. The brain production of dopamine―the neurochemical famed as the “happy hormone” is sex-dependent and consequently might also influence the cannabinoid-induced feelings of “reward” and “pleasure.” 

Other studies have also shown that female pot smokers are more likely to suffer memory loss and visual impairment than male cannabis users.  Animal studies have on the other hand suggested that estradiol, a hormone that influences the work of the endocannabinoid system, is notably higher in females than in males. Females might have more sensitive receptors than males in key areas of the brain related to control of social behaviour, control of movement and sensory input filtering, according to research.

The effects of weed on men

Scientists have discovered that Cannabinoid receptor type 1 receptor availability is lower in males, resulting in widely different effects and usage patterns than those in females. The low level of Cbd 1 receptors is probably the scientific reason why men need to consume weed in more significant amounts and higher rates than women do.

Unlike women who tend to use cannabis for stress relief, men need larger amounts of cannabis to enhance the sensation and the ‘rewarding’ feeling. Men also need less weed tolerance breaks and tend to experience milder withdrawal symptoms than women. On the gloomier side, high THC levels may result in decreased testosterone production, plus men tend to have a higher prevalence of personality disorders.

Men have also demonstrated a higher susceptibility to appetite stimulation after cannabis use. So, gentlemen, next time the munchies kick in and you end up eating the whole pack of oreos, blame it on your gender.

Science still has a long way to go

Several other studies have found various areas that show smoking weed generates similar effects among both sexes, such as impulsivity, stress, cognition, learning, and reward memory. However, when it comes to discovering all of the sex-dependent effects of cannabis use, science still has a long way to come.

The preliminary scientific data helps understand the potential difference in weed usage patterns among women and men. While controlled humans studies are still somewhat limited, anecdotal evidence claims men show more compulsive use of cannabis than women. However, this hasn’t stopped women to gain some leadership roles within the cannabis industry.