# Pharmacokinetic and motivational properties of vaporized cannabis in mice

> **NIH NIH R21** · WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $229,500

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The legalization of cannabis in several states across the US has increased the need to better understand its
effects on the body, brain, and behavior. Rodent models are particularly valuable in this respect because they
provide precise control over external variables and the rodent brain shows structural and functional homology
with the human brain in regions relevant to drug dependence and emotional behavior. However, obstacles to
establishing preclinical animal models that more closely resemble human patterns of cannabis use have limited
our ability to study the biological consequences of real-world cannabis use and misuse. To address this critical
barrier in the field, the McLaughlin Laboratory recently developed and validated a novel vapor inhalation model
for delivering cannabis extracts in an experimenter-controlled or response-contingent manner in rats. Although
this model has provided valuable opportunities for examining cannabis-seeking behavior, the relatively limited
genetic toolkit available in rats has hindered the use of cell type- and circuit-specific approaches. Conversely,
the cutting-edge genetic tools available in mice make them an attractive model for studying how cannabis use
impacts various biological endpoints in the brain and periphery. To implement an ecologically valid mouse
model of cannabis use, we must first establish optimal cannabis vapor dosing parameters across conditions of
age, sex, and strain and determine the feasibility of self-administration in mice to ensure replicability for future
studies. Thus, the objective of this R21 proposal is to establish this model of cannabis use in inbred and
outbred strains of male and female mice during adolescence and adulthood. In Aim 1, we will use an
experimenter-controlled cannabis vapor delivery approach to determine the pharmacokinetic and behavioral
effects of cannabis vapor exposure in inbred (C57BL/6) and outbred (CD-1) mouse strains of both sexes
during adolescence and adulthood. In Aim 2, we will use these dosing parameters to determine whether
cannabis vapor supports stable cannabis-seeking behaviors in mice of both sexes, ages, and strains.
Together, these aims employ a technically innovative approach and will establish vital working parameters that
will afford rigorous characterization of the pharmacokinetic and cannabimimetic effects of acute exposure to
vaporized cannabis. Funding this R21 proposal will be the first step in generating necessary pilot data in mice
that will support many future collaborative proposals from our multidisciplinary group of investigators
(McLaughlin, Delevich, and Hayashi). Moreover, it will provide a valuable starting point for others in the WSU
community and beyond that are interested in employing cannabis vapor delivery approaches in mice.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10569883
- **Project number:** 1R21DA057245-01
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Kristen Marie Delevich
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $229,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-30 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10569883

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10569883, Pharmacokinetic and motivational properties of vaporized cannabis in mice (1R21DA057245-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10569883. Licensed CC0.

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