# Pharmacokinetic and motivational properties of vaporized cannabis in mice

> **NIH NIH R21** · WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $107,100

## Abstract

Project Summary – no change from original
 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:** 10999833
- **Project number:** 3R21DA057245-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Kristen Marie Delevich
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $107,100
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-09-30 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10999833

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10999833, Pharmacokinetic and motivational properties of vaporized cannabis in mice (3R21DA057245-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10999833. Licensed CC0.

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