Study Suggests Cannabis Smoking Affects Men and Women Differently

WHO:

NY Post - The study found different effects among men and women who use cannabis.

Fox News - The UCLA Health study included 44 healthy adults, ages 21 to 55, evenly split between men and women.

Fox News - Dr. Ziva Cooper, the study’s principal investigator and director of the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, said earlier evidence on sex differences came largely from animal research and human studies that pooled data from different trials.

Fox News - Dr. Stephanie Lake, a researcher at the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids and the study’s lead author, said sex and cannabis-use history can shape how people experience cannabis.

Fox News - Family physician Dr. Jessica Gray discussed daily marijuana use in America and warned against the misconception that cannabis is naturally safe.

WHAT:

NY Post - A UCLA study found that men who use cannabis occasionally experience stronger effects and higher anxiety than women with similar use habits.

Fox News - The study was published in *Neuropsychopharmacology* and compared participants who used cannabis frequently with those who used it occasionally.

Fox News - In three sessions, each participant smoked cannabis containing no THC, a lower amount of THC, or a higher amount; participants did not know which they received.

Fox News - Among occasional users, men reported feeling more high, sedated, and impaired than women with similar use habits. Men also reported more unpleasant effects, including anxiety, and their heart rates rose significantly after active cannabis use.

Fox News - Occasional-use men and women had similar peak blood THC levels, which did not appear to explain the reported differences.

Fox News - Men and women in the frequent-use group generally responded similarly to active cannabis. Frequent users, regardless of gender, were more likely than occasional users to say they liked the effects, wanted to use cannabis again, and chose to take more during the study.

Fox News - The study controlled for menstrual-cycle timing among women participants, who were not using hormonal birth control.

Fox News - Researchers said the study was small and that several findings about occasional male users came from exploratory analyses requiring confirmation in larger studies.

Fox News - The experimental cannabis contained 4% or 10% THC; researchers said products commonly sold today have THC concentrations of 20% or higher.

WHERE:

Fox News - The study was conducted by UCLA Health researchers.

WHY:

Fox News - The researchers said studying sex and frequency of cannabis use together is important for understanding who may be at risk of higher-risk, unpleasant, or beneficial experiences.

HOW:

Fox News - Researchers called for larger studies to examine whether men and women develop cannabis tolerance differently and how any differences might affect the risk of cannabis use disorder.

(UPDATED November 9, 2026 21:10 UTC)

A UCLA study found occasional cannabis-using men reported stronger effects and more anxiety than women. Frequent users of both sexes responded similarly and were more likely to want cannabis again. Researchers cautioned the study was small and called for larger studies to confirm findings.