ADOLESCENT EXPOSURE TO LOW-DOSE THC DISRUPTS ENERGY BALANCE AND ADIPOSE ORGAN HOMEOSTASIS IN ADULTHOOD

Abstract

One of cannabis most iconic effects is the stimulation of hedonic high-calorie eating - the munchies - yet habitual cannabis users are on average leaner than non-users. We asked whether this unexpected phenotype might result from lasting changes in energy balance established during adolescence, when habitual use of the drug often begins. We found that daily low-dose administration of cannabis intoxicating constituent, {Delta}9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), to adolescent mice causes an adult metabolic phenotype characterized by reduced fat mass, increased lean mass and utilization of fat as fuel, partial resistance to diet-induced obesity and dyslipidemia, and enhanced thermogenesis. Multi-omics analyses revealed that this phenotype is associated with multiple molecular anomalies in the adipose organ, which include ectopic overexpression of muscle-associated proteins and heightened anabolic processing. Thus, adolescent exposure to THC may promote an enduring pseudo-lean state that superficially resembles healthy leanness but might in fact be rooted in adipose organ dysfunction.