Controlled vaporized cannabis, with and without alcohol: subjective effects and oral fluid-blood cannabinoid relationships

Rebecca L Hartman; Timothy L Brown; Gary Milavetz; Andrew Spurgin; David A Gorelick; Gary Gaffney; Marilyn A Huestis

doi:10.1002/dta.1839

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Controlled vaporized cannabis, with and without alcohol: subjective effects and oral fluid-blood cannabinoid relationships

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Controlled vaporized cannabis, with and without alcohol: subjective effects and oral fluid-blood cannabinoid relationships

Rebecca L Hartman, Timothy L Brown, Gary Milavetz, Andrew Spurgin, David A Gorelick, Gary Gaffney and Marilyn A Huestis

Drug testing and analysis, Vol.8(7), pp.690-701

07/2016

DOI: 10.1002/dta.1839

PMCID: PMC4749481

PMID: 26257143

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http://doi.org/10.1002/dta.1839View

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Abstract

Vaporized cannabis and concurrent cannabis and alcohol intake are commonplace. We evaluated the subjective effects of cannabis, with and without alcohol, relative to blood and oral fluid (OF, advantageous for cannabis exposure screening) cannabinoid concentrations and OF/blood and OF/plasma vaporized-cannabinoid relationships. Healthy adult occasional-to-moderate cannabis smokers received a vaporized placebo or active cannabis (2.9% and 6.7% Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol, THC) with or without oral low-dose alcohol (~0.065g/210L peak breath alcohol concentration [BrAC]) in a within-subjects design. Blood and OF were collected up to 8.3 h post-dose and subjective effects measured at matched time points with visual-analogue scales and 5-point Likert scales. Linear mixed models evaluated subjective effects by THC concentration, BrAC, and interactions. Effects by time point were evaluated by dose-wise analysis of variance (ANOVA). OF versus blood or plasma cannabinoid ratios and correlations were evaluated in paired-positive specimens. Nineteen participants (13 men) completed the study. Blood THC concentration or BrAC significantly associated with subjective effects including 'high', while OF contamination prevented significant OF concentration associations <1.4 h post-dose. Subjective effects persisted through 3.3-4.3 h, with alcohol potentiating the duration of the cannabis effects. Effect-versus-THC concentration and effect-versus-alcohol concentration hystereses were counterclockwise and clockwise, respectively. OF/blood and OF/plasma THC significantly correlated (all Spearman r≥0.71), but variability was high. Vaporized cannabis subjective effects were similar to those previously reported after smoking, with duration extended by concurrent alcohol. Cannabis intake was identified by OF testing, but OF concentration variability limited interpretation. Blood THC concentrations were more consistent across subjects and more accurate at predicting cannabis' subjective effects. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Psychotropic Drugs - blood

Psychotropic Drugs - pharmacokinetics

Humans

Middle Aged

Ethanol - pharmacokinetics

Male

Saliva - chemistry

Dronabinol - pharmacokinetics

Central Nervous System Depressants - pharmacology

Dronabinol - blood

Young Adult

Ethanol - pharmacology

Alcohol Drinking - blood

Ethanol - blood

Psychotropic Drugs - pharmacology

Volatilization

Marijuana Smoking - blood

Adult

Female

Substance Abuse Detection

Central Nervous System Depressants - blood

Central Nervous System Depressants - pharmacokinetics

Dronabinol - pharmacology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Controlled vaporized cannabis, with and without alcohol: subjective effects and oral fluid-blood cannabinoid relationships
Creators: Rebecca L Hartman - Program in Toxicology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA
Timothy L Brown - National Advanced Driving Simulator, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Gary Milavetz - College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Andrew Spurgin - College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
David A Gorelick - Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Gary Gaffney - Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Marilyn A Huestis - Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Drug testing and analysis, Vol.8(7), pp.690-701
DOI: 10.1002/dta.1839
PMID: 26257143
PMCID: PMC4749481
NLM abbreviation: Drug Test Anal
ISSN: 1942-7603
eISSN: 1942-7611
Publisher: England
Grant note: Z01 DA000413-10 / Intramural NIH HHS Z01 DA000412-10 / Intramural NIH HHS Z01 DA000413-11 / Intramural NIH HHS ZIA DA000412-12 / Intramural NIH HHS ZIA DA000413-14 / Intramural NIH HHS ZIA DA000413-13 / Intramural NIH HHS ZIA DA000412-13 / Intramural NIH HHS ZIA DA000412-14 / Intramural NIH HHS Z01 DA000412-11 / Intramural NIH HHS ZIA DA000412-15 / Intramural NIH HHS ZIA DA000413-15 / Intramural NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 07/2016
Academic Unit: Pharmacy; Psychiatry; Industrial and Systems Engineering; Pharmacy Practice and Science; Injury Prevention Research Center
Record Identifier: 9984065689802771

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