Men experience greater pain relief when smoking weed as opposed to women, according to researchers from Columbia University Medical Center.
42 recreational marijuana smokers were analyzed as part of the study, which aimed to find out the analgesic (painkilling) effects of everyone's favorite plant. Researchers had men and women smoke the same amount of weed and then place their hand in a cold water bath until the pain could no longer be tolerated. The subjects were then asked to answer a short questionnaire.
“These findings come at a time when more people, including women, are turning to the use of medical cannabis for pain relief,” said Ziva Cooper, PhD, associate professor of clinical neurobiology (in psychiatry) at CUMC. “Preclinical evidence has suggested that the experience of pain relief from cannabis-related products may vary between sexes, but no studies have been done to see if this is true in humans.”
“This study underscores the importance of including both men and women in clinical trials aimed at understanding the potential therapeutic and negative effects of cannabis, particularly as more people use cannabinoid products for recreational or medical purposes,” said Dr. Cooper.
According to the study, the dudes reported a significant decrease in pain sensitivity and an increase in pain tolerance, while the ladies didn't notice a significant decrease in pain sensitivity, but reported a small increase in pain tolerance after smoking.
[Via]