NCT04114903Completed
Exploring the Anti-inflammatory Properties of Cannabis and Their Relevance to Insulin Sensitivity
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 6 Aug 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
This study tests the effects of cannabinoid levels in blood on inflammation and insulin sensitivity both acutely and chronically in individuals across the weight spectrum. To that end, the study employs two observational designs: 1) A study of acute effects with intermittent cannabis users and 2) A study in which current cannabis users will select one of three cannabis strains for four weeks and are compared to a matched control group who do not use cannabis to study chronic effects. Blood levels of THC and CBD, inflammatory biomarkers, and insulin resistance will be measured in both studies.
- Status (registry)
- Completed
- Study type
- Observational
- Enrollment
- 233 (actual)
- First submitted
- 6 Sept 2019
- Start date
- 8 Nov 2019
- Primary completion date
- 1 Dec 2024
- Lead sponsor
- University of Colorado, Boulder
- Diseases
- Obesity, Type 2 diabetes
- NCT number
- NCT04114903
What you commit to
- Study type: Observational
- Participants enrolled: 233
- From 8 Nov 2019 to the primary completion date, 1 Dec 2024
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Report of other drug use (cocaine, opiates, methamphetamine) in the past 90 days or fail urine screen for any of these drugs
- Current use of psychotropic medications
- Have donated blood in the 8 weeks before the study or intend to donate blood in the 8 weeks after the study.
Other illness
- Known auto-immune disease
- Acute illness
- Current diagnosis of diabetes
- Heavy drinking as defined by an Alcohol Use Disorders Test (AUDIT)
Lab values
- Current use of medications for glucose lowering, immunosuppression, or anti-inflammation
Other
- Daily tobacco (cigarette, E-cigs, smokeless) user, given the impact of tobacco smoking on insulin function
- Blood alcohol level greater than 0 at screening
- Females can not be pregnant or trying to become pregnant
- Females can not be nursing mothers
Who the study is looking for
- Able to provide informed consent
- Cannabis users in Study A must have smoked or vaped cannabis at least once since January 1st 2014 with no negative effects but NOT used in the past three months
- Cannabis users in Study B must have been a regular (at least weekly) user for at least a year
- Non-users in Study B cannot have used any cannabis in the previous year
- Weight stable (\<5 pound fluctuation in the past six months)
- Planning to remain in the Boulder-Denver area for the next month
- Fasting blood glucose greater than or equal to 55 mg/dl and less than or equal to 126 mg/dl
- Cannabis users in Study A must endorse knowledge of the procedure(s) for smoking or vaping cannabis
Age in the registry: 21 years to 40 years · Sex: All
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center for Innovation and Creativity Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Boulder | United States | Unknown status |
Related publications
- Inhaling high THC cannabis acutely increases inflammation but not insulin sensitivity: a quasi-randomized trial.Sci Rep · 2026 · PMID 42463843
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.