Influence of solvent, sex, and age on pharmacokinetic and acute behavioral effects of vaporized cannabis extract in mice

The legalization of cannabis in several states across the US has increased the need to better understand its effects on the body, brain, and behavior, particularly in different populations. Rodent models are particularly valuable in this respect because they provide precise control over external variables. Previous rodent studies have found age and sex differences in response to injected Δ ⁹ -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive component of cannabis. However, this route of administration does not mimic the most common way humans consume cannabis, i.e. through inhalation. Here, we sought to address this gap by investigating age and sex differences in pharmacokinetics and the acute behavioral effects of vaporized cannabis extract in mice. Adolescent (postnatal day [P] 35-50) and adult (≥ P70) mice of both sexes received noncontingent exposure to 0 mg/ml, 150 mg/ml, or 300 mg/ml vaporized cannabis extract diluted in either 80% propylene glycol/20% vegetable glycerol (PG/VG) or 100% polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG). Immediately after exposure, body temperature, hot plate withdrawal latency, and locomotion were assessed. Blood was collected at 0, 30, and 60 min after vapor exposure, and plasma THC and its metabolites were analyzed. Measured THC levels were higher in both the plasma of vapor-exposed mice and the cannabis extract solutions themselves when PEG was the solvent compared to PG/VG. Vaporized cannabis (dissolved in PEG) at the highest dose tested induced hypothermic, antinociceptive, and locomotor-suppressing effects in all groups of mice. We found a dose-dependent age difference in locomotion, indicating that adolescents were less sensitive to the locomotor-suppressing effects of vaporized cannabis, which may be related to the plasma THC levels achieved. Although we found no significant sex differences in the acute behavioral effects of vaporized cannabis, there were significant sex differences in plasma THC metabolites indicating that female mice may metabolize vaporized cannabis more slowly than male mice. Taken together, the current findings add to a growing number of studies implementing vaporized cannabinoid delivery approaches by revealing PEG as the superior solvent for studies involving cannabis extract.