The Impact and Detection of Driving Impairments Associated With Acute Cannabis Smoking

Summary

This study was authorized by the California Legislature (Assembly Bill 266, the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act to help with detection of driving under the influence of cannabis. One hundred and eighty healthy volunteers will inhale smoked cannabis with either 0% (placebo), 5.9%, or 13.4% Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at the beginning of the day, and then complete driving simulations, iPad-based performance assessments, and bodily fluid draws (e.g., blood, saliva, breath) before the cannabis smoking and a number of times over the subsequent 6 hours after cannabis smoking. The purpose is to determine (1) the relationship of the dose of Δ9-THC on driving performance and (2) the duration of driving impairment in terms of hours from initial use, (3) if saliva or expired air can serve as a useful substitute for blood sampling of Δ9-THC, and (4) if testing using an iPad can serve as a useful adjunct to the standardized field sobriety test in identifying acute impairment from cannabis.

Timeline

Start

2017-02-24

Primary completion

2019-06-17

Completion

2019-06-17

Publications

• Background Hartman RL, Huestis MA. Cannabis effects on driving skills. Clin Chem. 2013 Mar;59(3):478-92. doi: 10.1373/clinchem.2012.194381. Epub 2012 Dec 7.
• Background Papafotiou K, Carter JD, Stough C. An evaluation of the sensitivity of the Standardised Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) to detect impairment due to marijuana intoxication. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2005 Jun;180(1):107-14. doi: 10.1007/s00213-004-2119-9. Epub 2004 Dec 24.
• Background Fabritius M, Chtioui H, Battistella G, Annoni JM, Dao K, Favrat B, Fornari E, Lauer E, Maeder P, Giroud C. Comparison of cannabinoid concentrations in oral fluid and whole blood between occasional and regular cannabis smokers prior to and after smoking a cannabis joint. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2013 Dec;405(30):9791-803. doi: 10.1007/s00216-013-7412-1. Epub 2013 Nov 8.
• Background Beck O, Stephanson N, Sandqvist S, Franck J. Detection of drugs of abuse in exhaled breath from users following recovery from intoxication. J Anal Toxicol. 2012 Nov-Dec;36(9):638-46. doi: 10.1093/jat/bks079. Epub 2012 Oct 7.
• Background Marcotte TD, Heaton RK, Wolfson T, Taylor MJ, Alhassoon O, Arfaa K, Ellis RJ, Grant I. The impact of HIV-related neuropsychological dysfunction on driving behavior. The HNRC Group. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 1999 Nov;5(7):579-92. doi: 10.1017/s1355617799577011.
• Background Marcotte TD, Rosenthal TJ, Roberts E, Lampinen S, Scott JC, Allen RW, Corey-Bloom J. The contribution of cognition and spasticity to driving performance in multiple sclerosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008 Sep;89(9):1753-8. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2007.12.049.
• Results Hubbard JA, Hoffman MA, Ellis SE, Sobolesky PM, Smith BE, Suhandynata RT, Sones EG, Sanford SK, Umlauf A, Huestis MA, Grelotti DJ, Grant I, Marcotte TD, Fitzgerald RL. Biomarkers of Recent Cannabis Use in Blood, Oral Fluid and Breath. J Anal Toxicol. 2021 Sep 17;45(8):820-828. doi: 10.1093/jat/bkab080.
• Results Hoffman MA, Hubbard JA, Sobolesky PM, Smith BE, Suhandynata RT, Sanford S, Sones EG, Ellis S, Umlauf A, Huestis MA, Grelotti DJ, Grant I, Marcotte TD, Fitzgerald RL. Blood and Oral Fluid Cannabinoid Profiles of Frequent and Occasional Cannabis Smokers. J Anal Toxicol. 2021 Sep 17;45(8):851-862. doi: 10.1093/jat/bkab078.
• Results Hubbard JA, Smith BE, Sobolesky PM, Kim S, Hoffman MA, Stone J, Huestis MA, Grelotti DJ, Grant I, Marcotte TD, Fitzgerald RL. Validation of a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to detect cannabinoids in whole blood and breath. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2020 Apr 28;58(5):673-681. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2019-0600.
• Results Sobolesky PM, Smith BE, Hubbard JA, Stone J, Marcotte TD, Grelotti DJ, Grant I, Fitzgerald RL. Validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for analyzing cannabinoids in oral fluid. Clin Chim Acta. 2019 Apr;491:30-38. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2019.01.002. Epub 2019 Jan 4.
• Marcotte TD, Umlauf A, Grelotti DJ, Sones EG, Mastropietro KF, Suhandynata RT, Huestis MA, Grant I, Fitzgerald RL. Evaluation of Field Sobriety Tests for Identifying Drivers Under the Influence of Cannabis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2023 Sep 1;80(9):914-923. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.2345.
• Marcotte TD, Umlauf A, Grelotti DJ, Sones EG, Sobolesky PM, Smith BE, Hoffman MA, Hubbard JA, Severson J, Huestis MA, Grant I, Fitzgerald RL. Driving Performance and Cannabis Users' Perception of Safety: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2022 Mar 1;79(3):201-209. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.4037.

Drugs

Indications