Does cannabis affect men and women differently? A new UCLA experiment suggests it may, for one group in particular: men who used cannabis occasionally reported feeling more high, sedated and impaired than women with similar habits. The women in the study did not show the greater sensitivity that some earlier research suggested, and frequent users responded in similar ways regardless of sex. If you use cannabis for stress or mood, the details matter, so start with the study itself. The full write-up is the paper in Neuropsychopharmacology, published 29 October 2026.
What did the UCLA study test?
The paper describes a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. It enrolled 44 adults, 22 of them women, aged 21 to 55. Participants were split evenly by sex and by how often they used cannabis. The paper counts frequent use as more than 4 days per week and occasional use as 4 or fewer days per week in the past month.
Each person completed three sessions and smoked cannabis at 0% THC (about 0 mg), 4% THC (about 20 mg) or 10% THC (about 60 mg), without knowing which one they had. The study tested smoked cannabis only, in a lab. Each session used a paced-puff procedure until about 560 mg of the cigarette had been burned.
The women were regularly cycling, were not pregnant or breastfeeding, and were not taking hormonal birth control. Women’s sessions were timed to the mid-to-late follicular phase, and blood hormone testing confirmed the timing.
| Quick facts (as of 2026-11-10) | Detail |
|---|---|
| Study design | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study |
| Journal and date | Neuropsychopharmacology, published 29 October 2026 |
| Participants | 44 adults (22 female), aged 21 to 55 |
| Groups | 12 frequent-use males, 10 occasional-use males, 12 frequent-use females, 10 occasional-use females |
| Strengths smoked | 0% THC (about 0 mg), 4% THC (about 20 mg), 10% THC (about 60 mg) |
| Frequent use (paper’s definition) | More than 4 days per week in the past month |
| Occasional use (paper’s definition) | 4 or fewer days per week in the past month |
| Lead author and principal investigator | Stephanie Lake (lead author); Ziva Cooper, UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids |
| Funding | National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Semel Charitable Foundation |
| Disclosures (per the paper) | Ziva Cooper has received study product from Canopy Growth Corp and True Terpenes, and research materials from Storz & Bickel, both outside this work |
What did the study find for men and women?
Sex differences in health are not unusual. The Office on Women’s Health stroke page notes that stroke affects women differently than men in several ways. The cannabis paper found its clearest sex difference among occasional users, where the men reported stronger effects at active strengths.
Occasional-use men
The paper reports that “High,” Sedation/impairment, Dysphoric arousal and “Bad effect” ratings were higher at active strengths for occasional-use males than for sex- and/or frequency-matched counterparts. At 4% THC, sedation/impairment was 22.3 mm above placebo on the rating scale (95% CI 13.5 to 31.1), and dysphoric arousal was 20.4 mm above placebo (95% CI 13.0 to 27.8). The paper calls the “High” and sedation/impairment results exploratory follow-up findings.
Heart rate also rose. In occasional-use males at 4% THC, heart rate rose 32.5 bpm above placebo (95% CI 15.6 to 49.4). UCLA Health says these men were the only group whose heart rate rose significantly after smoking active cannabis, according to its UCLA Health press release.
Blood levels did not explain the gap. The paper says occasional-use men had similar peak plasma THC/11-OH-THC to occasional-use females, “despite” their stronger ratings. THC and metabolites “tended to be highest in frequent-use males.”
Frequent users
Among frequent users, men and women responded in similar ways to active cannabis, according to UCLA Health. The paper reports that frequent users showed significant increases from placebo in “Like” and “Take again” ratings and self-administered more cannabis than occasional users, in exploratory follow-up. The authors say this was not modified by sex. In the self-administration task, 20.8% of frequent users self-administered at 0% THC, 37.5% at 4% THC and 54.2% at 10% THC.
Women in this study
The paper says females “did not show enhanced sensitivity to misuse-related effects in this study.” The authors also raise the possibility that occasional-use women built up tolerance for reasons other than sex, for example being a bit older or having more years since first use.
How do the headlines differ from the paper?
The UCLA release, the paper and the Fox News item carried by WFMD describe the same findings in different ways.
| Source | How it describes the main result |
|---|---|
| The paper (Neuropsychopharmacology, published 29 October 2026) | Calls the “High” and sedation/impairment results exploratory follow-up findings, and calls its occasional-male intoxication finding “exploratory.” Defines frequent use as more than 4 days per week. |
| UCLA Health press release (5 November 2026) | Headline: “Study challenges belief that women are more sensitive to the effects of cannabis.” Says men who used occasionally “reacted more strongly.” Describes the groups as “weekly or daily use.” |
| Fox News item on WFMD (9 November 2026) | Headline: “Men and women who smoke marijuana may experience different effects, study suggests.” Says men who use cannabis occasionally “may feel stronger effects.” |
Two differences matter most. The UCLA release describes frequency as “weekly or daily use,” while the paper uses the cutoff of more than 4 days per week. The release’s headline is also firmer than the paper, which labels the male-group intoxication finding exploratory and says it contrasts with some earlier reports of greater sensitivity in females. In the UCLA Health release, Dr. Ziva Cooper, the principal investigator, says earlier knowledge about sex differences came mostly from animal work and from human studies that combined data across separate trials.
Does cannabis affect mental health in general?
For the broader question of cannabis and mood, a 2018 review of daily-life cannabis studies looked at research that tracked people’s moods over time. For community samples, it says, “Results provide equivocal evidence regarding relations between cannabis use and affect.” For clinical samples, it says findings “support a negative reinforcement hypothesis” for general negative affect (a broad term for low, unpleasant mood) and anger/hostility. In plain terms, the review says people in psychiatric populations may use cannabis after negative mood rises, and that negative mood may drop afterward.
A 2024 meta-analysis in people with cancer reviewed intervention studies of medicinal cannabis for depression, anxiety and stress. It found “No clinically significant effects of medicinal cannabis” on those primary outcomes, and concluded there was “insufficient evidence to determine the efficacy and safety of medicinal cannabis as a therapeutic intervention” for those symptoms in people with active cancer. For a wider overview, read cannabis and mental health. For the anxiety side, thc and anxiety separates short-term panic from chronic worry.
What does the study say about cannabis use disorder?
UCLA Health reports that, whatever a person’s sex, frequent users showed more of cannabis’s addictive potential than occasional users. The release also says women tend to progress faster than men from first use to cannabis use disorder, and that the authors suggest women may build tolerance with less use than men. Larger studies will need to test that. The paper suggests future work should examine sex-dependent exposure thresholds for tolerance and escalation. Fox News, carrying the same story, notes that the researchers want bigger studies to clarify how tolerance differs between men and women and what that means for the risk of cannabis use disorder.
The NIDA listing for a prenatal cannabis study describes cannabis use during pregnancy as widespread and increasing in the US. It says little is known about whether women with psychiatric conditions face a higher risk of using it while pregnant, and it lists a Kaiser Permanente study set up to test that question.
What limits does the study state?
The paper names a modest sample, several findings that rest on exploratory follow-up, THC strengths lower than the 20% THC or more typical of commercially available cannabis, and puff volume that was not measured.
Who does this research apply to?
- Men who use cannabis occasionally: this is the group with the clearest sex difference in the paper, at 4% THC.
- Frequent users of either sex: the paper found similar responses between men and women in this group, along with significant increases in “Like” and “Take again” ratings.
- Women who use cannabis: the paper says females did not show enhanced sensitivity to misuse-related effects in this study.
- Older adults and high-potency products: the participants were 21 to 55, and UCLA Health says the team is now studying high-potency products and adults 55 and older.
What are the common mix-ups?
- “Women are more sensitive” is the old idea. The UCLA headline says the study challenges that belief, and the paper says the male finding contrasts with some earlier reports of greater sensitivity in females.
- Frequency is defined differently. The UCLA release says “weekly or daily use,” while the paper’s cutoff is more than 4 days per week.
- The THC strengths were 4% and 10%. Fox News notes that cannabis products sold today commonly contain 20% THC or higher, and UCLA Health says many products sold today are stronger than the ones tested.
- The sex difference was not a blood-level difference. Occasional-use men and occasional-use women had similar peak THC levels.
- The WFMD page is a republished item. It carries a Fox News Digital article, so the paper and the UCLA release are the primary sources.
What should I do with this next?
Read the full study in Neuropsychopharmacology if you want the numbers. If you want a plain way to judge a study like this one, how to read a clinical study (our research library) walks through the basics. If you use cannabis for stress or mood, talk with a licensed clinician or pharmacist about your own use, and bring questions about your menstrual cycle, menopause, fertility or any other health condition to them as well.
By the Global MH Summit Research Team