10 Aug Frequent cannabis users show higher cortisol levels at awakening compared to controls
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MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Anita Cservenka, PhD
Associate Professor; Director, Substance Use & Neurocognition Lab
School of Psychological Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Dr. Cservenka, PhD[/caption]
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Cservenka: There had been limited research on whether frequent cannabis use is associated with changes in individuals' diurnal stress activity, which can be measured by examining the cortisol awakening response. However, some previous studies had shown that the typical rise of cortisol in the morning, which is thought to be a marker of our body's preparation for managing the stressors of the day, may be blunted among individuals with alcohol use disorder. A recent study by Glodosky et al., 2026, also suggested this may be the case among those with chronic cannabis use, so we attempted to replicate those findings. Although we did not find group differences in the cortisol awakening response (the difference in cortisol 30 minutes post-awakening and at the time of awakening) between individuals who engaged in frequent cannabis use relative to controls, we did find that cannabis use may be related to higher levels of cortisol at the time of awakening and this was significantly related to cannabis use consequences.