How Do We Develop THC Tolerance?
Regular cannabis use often leads to the development of “tolerance.” This means you need to consume more THC to achieve the same high. Over time, it may feel nearly impossible to get high at all. However, if you stop using cannabis, your brain can recover impressively quickly, usually within a few weeks.
What is THC Tolerance?
THC activates CB1 receptors in the brain, which creates the feeling of being high. The intense feelings associated with the high occur due to increased activity of these CB1 receptors. Once THC leaves the body, this activity typically returns to normal.
However, with repeated exposure to THC, whether over days or weeks, the brain begins to respond by reducing the increase in CB1 receptor activity. Essentially, the brain works to maintain regular CB1 activation patterns by diminishing the number of CB1 receptors, diluting their effects, or altering their genetic presentation. These adjustments aim to lessen the impact of THC, resulting in the need for higher doses to achieve the same high, which means developing tolerance.
How Does THC Tolerance Develop?
The process of THC tolerance arises from repeated activation of CB1 receptors. This triggers mechanisms within brain cells that weaken the response to THC and eventually lead to the removal of CB1 receptors from the cell surface. As a result, you must consume more THC to feel its effects.
If you continue using THC, it will have a diminishing effect on your brain function due to the fewer receptors available for THC to act upon. Although the desensitized receptors can still bind with THC, the resulting effect is significantly less than it was before. Over time, with frequent activation, the connection between CB1 receptors and their effects weakens.
As the CB1 receptors become less effective, proteins in the cell recognize this change and remove them from use. Consequently, if you keep consuming THC, its effects on brain function will diminish further due to the reduced number of receptors.
The Tolerance Timeline
The speed at which you develop a tolerance to THC varies based on factors such as how much and how often you consume it, your cannabis use history, and your genetic makeup. These factors differ greatly from person to person.
Current research on tolerance development primarily comes from studies conducted on mice. For example, mice given THC injections at a dosage of 10 mg/kg twice daily demonstrated tolerance to THC's pain-relieving and sedative effects after just 36 hours, or after three injections. Notably, tolerance to the sedative effects was found to be stronger than tolerance to the pain-relieving effects, suggesting that different regions of the brain or specific brain cells may be more sensitive to tolerance than others.
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Liz Filmer
