Impact of Acute and Chronic Cannabis Use on Stress Response Regulation: Challenging the Belief That Cannabis Is an Effective Method for Coping

Summary & key facts

This paper reviews what we know about how short-term and long-term cannabis use affect the body's stress response. The authors found some evidence that cannabis can change how people react to and recover from stress, and that stress itself can push people to start or keep using cannabis. They point out that certain groups — for example people who have had hard life events, men and women differently, and pregnant people — may be affected in different ways. The research is still new, so the results are suggestive rather than conclusive, but better knowledge could help shape prevention and help for people at risk.

Key facts:

• Researchers looked at many studies to see how short-term (right after use) and long-term (regular) cannabis use affect stress regulation.
• There is some evidence that cannabis changes stress responses both right after people use it and after long-term use, but the findings are not yet settled.
• Stress is linked to starting and continuing cannabis use, meaning people under stress may be more likely to begin or keep using cannabis.
• Factors like a person’s sex and past life adversity (for example trauma or hard childhood experiences) can change how cannabis and stress interact.
• The review highlights growing concern about cannabis use during pregnancy and discusses how stressors like partner violence, job loss, or lack of housing are tied to cannabis use in this group.
• The authors say the field is in its infancy, so we need more careful studies before making firm conclusions or specific recommendations.

Abstract

Although research has only recently started to examine the impact of cannabis use on stress response, there is some evidence that indicates acute and chronic impacts of cannabis on these processes. In this paper, we review processes involved in regulating the stress response and we review the influence of acute and chronic exposure to cannabis on patterns and regulation of the stress response. We also highlight the role of stress as a risk factor for initiation and maintenance of cannabis use. In this context, we examine moderating variables, including sex and life adversity. In light of recent observations indicating increasing prevalence of cannabis use during pregnancy, we provide additional focus on cannabis use in this vulnerable population, including how acute and chronic stress may predispose some individuals to use cannabis during pregnancy. While this line of research is in its infancy, we review available articles that focus on the perinatal period and that examined the association between cannabis use and various life stressors, including partner violence, job loss, and lack of housing. We also review psychiatric co-morbidities (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety). A better understanding of the way stress and cannabis use relate within the general population, as well as within certain subgroups that may be at a greater risk of using and/or at greater risk for adverse outcomes of use, may lead to the development of novel prevention and intervention approaches.

Topics

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Homelessness and Social Issues

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Pharmacology

Tags

Anxiety Biology Cannabidiol Cannabis Cannabis Dependence Chronic stress Clinical psychology Context (archaeology) Coping (psychology) Effects of cannabis Environmental health Medicine Neuroscience Paleontology Population Psychiatry Psychology Stressor

Substances

Cannabis

Conditions & symptoms

Addiction Anxiety PTSD Substance abuse disorder Addiction or harmful habbits Anxiety or worry Poor sleep