Dr. Ziva Cooper is the Director of the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative in the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Department of Anesthesiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine. 



Her current research involves understanding variables that influence both the therapeutic potential and adverse effects of cannabis and cannabinoids through double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. 



One of the variables Ziva and her team are studying is the differences between men and women in their response to the abuse-related and pain-relieving effects of cannabinoids, and the role that circulating hormones and endocannabinoids contribute to these differences, 



We discuss:



Key differences in how cannabis affects males vs. femalesFemales metabolize THC differently than malesCannabis use tolerance differences in males vs. femalesFemale reproductive hormones play a role in sensitivity to THCThe importance of placebo-controlled studiesMale vs. Female differences in self-reporting pain, side effects, etc.



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Additional Resources



UCLA Cannabis CenterSex-Dependent Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: A Translational Perspective Review the Podcast!CannMed ArchiveCannMed Community Board [Facebook Group]Healthcare Provider Medical Cannabis Research Study