Frequent cannabis users wake with higher cortisol levels, study finds - Medical Xpress

What the report says

Medical Xpress reported July 22 that Oregon State University researchers found an association between frequent cannabis use and higher cortisol levels immediately after waking. The study, led by Anita Cservenka of OSU’s College of Liberal Arts and published in the journal Cannabis, examined the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a key system involved in the body’s stress response.

According to the report, the researchers focused on the cortisol awakening response, or CAR, which measures the change in cortisol from wake-up to about 30 minutes later. Frequent cannabis users and nonusers showed a similar morning rise, but cannabis users began the day with higher cortisol already circulating. The study authors said that pattern may point to disruption in daily stress rhythms, though the finding does not establish cause and effect.

Medical Xpress noted that stress is commonly cited as a reason for cannabis use, and the OSU team raised the possibility that short-term stress relief could, with chronic use, be linked to changes in stress-regulation systems. Cservenka said longer-term studies following the same people would be needed to determine whether cannabis use contributes to higher waking cortisol, whether existing stress-system differences influence cannabis use, or whether both are involved.

The report also placed the findings in the context of rising cannabis use among young adults in the United States, citing researchers’ figures that 29% of adults ages 19 to 30 reported cannabis use in the past month and more than 10% reported using it at least 20 times in 30 days. The authors suggested waking cortisol could be investigated further as a possible biological marker related to problematic cannabis use.