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Depression of Growth Hormone and Cortisol Response to Insulin-Induced Hypoglycemia After Prolonged Oral Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Administration in Man

The Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute San Francisco, California, 94143;
Medical Service, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, California 94110

Supported by research funds from Contract HSM-42-181 and Grant DA-00033 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse; by NIMH Career Scientist Award K02MH32904 to Reese T. Jones; and by SAODAP Clinical Research Center Grant DA4RG-012.

Six hospitalized volunteer male subjects were given insulin, 0.15 U/kg, before and after 14 days of administration of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at a dose of 210 mg/day. A diminished maximal serum human growth hormone (GH) increase followed the prolonged THC ingestion. The mean maximal GH response was: 52.6 ng/ml ± 8.7 (±SE) before THC and 18.8 ng/ml ± 6.7 (±SE) during THC, P < 0.01; corresponding cortisol responses were 20.1 /ag/dl ± 3.0 before THC and 10.0 jig/dl ± 1.1 during THC, P < 0.05. The data suggest suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis after prolonged high dose THC use. This is consistent with other reported endocrine effects of marijuana in man. (J Clin Endocrinol Metub 42: 938, 1976)

Received September 25, 1975.

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