Rats on drugs? WSU study finds rats turn to cannabis to cope with stress

If offered, rats will use cannabis to deal with stress

Corticosterone is to rodents as cortisol is to humans.

Stressed rats keep returning to cannabis and scientists know why

Rats with naturally high stress levels were far more likely to self-administer cannabis when given access. Behavioral testing showed that baseline stress hormones were the strongest predictor of cannabis-seeking behavior. Lower cognitive flexibility and low endocannabinoid levels also contributed to increased use. The results hint at possible early indicators of vulnerability to drug misuse.

Rats on drugs? WSU study finds rats turn to cannabis to cope with stress

Rats and humans are more similar than you might imagine, at least according to a new study by Washington State University.

WSU study: Rats with high levels of stress may seek out cannabis

WSU researchers found that rats with high levels of natural stress hormones were far more likely to self-administer cannabis than those with low stress levels.

Stressed out rats choose to inhale cannabis more than relaxed rodents, study finds

Researchers have discovered that rats with high stress levels are more likely to indulge in cannabis than calm and collected rodents. A team of neuroscience scholars from Washington State University and the University of Calgary published a study in the Nature journal Neuropsychopharmacology detailing this discovery last month. "Identifying behavioral and biological predictors of cannabis vapor self-administration in rats" was the name of their …

Rats may seek cannabis to cope with stress, WSU research finds

PULLMAN, WA — It isn’t just people — when given the chance rats may also use cannabis to cope with stress, according to a study by researchers at Washington State University. Published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, the study was designed to examine cannabis-seeking behavior and found that rats with higher natural stress levels are far more likely to self-administer the popular recreational drug. “We ran rats through this extensive batt…