Ep. 31 - T-Break: Fact or Fiction?

Cannabis Nurse Truths

It is well known that individuals who use high doses of cannabis for a long period of time will develop tolerance to THC. To overcome tolerance to THC, there are two choices - use more THC or take a THC break, also known as a T- Break. Numerous online forums suggest varying ways to manage a T-Break; a recent Internet search resulted in over 36 million hits on how to reduce THC tolerance.

The problem with these online T-Break guides, however, is that none of them are empirically based, meaning that there is currently no evidence to support the methods suggested online. In this episode of Cannabis Nurse Truths, we consider the data related to cannabis tolerance and how numerous factors may interfere with your T-Break.

Episode Resources

Allsop, D. J., Copeland, J., Norberg, M. M., Fu, S., & Molnar, A. (2012). Quantifying the Clinical Significance of Cannabis Withdrawal. PLoS ONE, 7(9), e44864.

Ansell, E. B., Bedillion, M. F., Farris, S. R., Gilbert, J. M., Koch, M. M., & Thureen, S. E. (2023). Cannabis use breaks in young adults: The highs and lows of tolerance breaks. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 249, 109951.

D'Souza, D., Cortes-Briones, J., Ranganathan, M., Thurnauer, H., Creatura, G., Surti, T., ... & Skosnik, P. (2015, December). Rapid changes in CB1 receptor availability in cannabis dependent males after abstinence from cannabis. In Neuropsychopharmacology (Vol. 40, pp. S589-S590). Fontana, T. (2024). T-Break Guide: Take a Cannabis Tolerance Break. University of Vermont. Fontana, T. J., Schulz, J. A., Budney, A. J., & Villanti, A. C. (2022). Feasibility and utility of a structured guide for cannabis tolerance breaks in young adults. Journal of American College Health, 1-5. Ramaekers, J. G., Mason, N. L., & Theunissen, E. L. (2020). Blunted highs: Pharmacodynamic and behavioral models of cannabis tolerance. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 36, 191-205. Spindle, T. R., Cone, E. J., Schlienz, N. J., Mitchell, J. M., Bigelow, G. E., Flegel, R., ... & Vandrey, R. (2019). Acute pharmacokinetic profile of smoked and vaporized cannabis in human blood and oral fluid. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 43(4), 233-258. Sponsor: hemphavenwellness.com or Hemp Haven Cannabinoid Dispensary Click HERE to schedule your FREE cannabis consultation with a professional cannabis nurse