Euphoria

Euphoria in the cannabis context is a transient, dose-dependent positive affective state marked by elation, buoyancy, sociability, and pleasurable hedonic tone. It is mediated primarily by CB1-driven disinhibition of mesolimbic dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area, producing phasic dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (Bossong et al. 2009 Neuropsychopharmacology). D'Souza et al. (2004, 2008 Neuropsychopharmacology) documented robust, dose-dependent euphoria with intravenous THC (2.5–5 mg) that was preserved in frequent users despite tolerance to psychotomimetic and amnestic effects — an important dissociation suggesting the reward circuitry tolerizes more slowly than prefrontal/limbic circuits. Low-to-moderate oral THC (2.5–7.5 mg) produces modest euphoria; higher doses (>12.5 mg in cannabis-naïve adults) increasingly shift affect toward dysphoria and anxiety (Childs et al. 2017 Drug Alcohol Depend). Citations: Bossong MG et al. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2009;34:759-766; D'Souza DC et al. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2004;29:1558-1572; Childs E et al. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2017;177:136-144.