Two cases of "cannabis acute psychosis" following the administration of oral cannabis.
BACKGROUND
Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug and its therapeutic aspects have a growing interest. Short-term psychotic reactions have been described but not clearly with synthetic oral THC, especially in occasional users.


METHODS
We report two cases of healthy subjects who were occasional but regular cannabis users without psychiatric history who developed transient psychotic symptoms (depersonalization, paranoid feelings and derealisation) following oral administration of cannabis. In contrast to most other case reports where circumstances and blood concentrations are unknown, the two cases reported here happened under experimental conditions with all subjects negative for cannabis, opiates, amphetamines, cocaine, benzodiazepines and alcohol, and therefore the ingested dose, the time-events of effects on behavior and performance as well as the cannabinoid blood levels were documented.


CONCLUSIONS
While the oral route of administration achieves only limited blood concentrations, significant psychotic reactions may occur.
Favrat
Bernard
B
Unité de Médecine du Trafic, Institut Universitaire de Médecine Légale, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland. bernard.favrat@hospvd.ch
Ménétrey
Annick
A
Augsburger
Marc
M
Rothuizen
Laura E
LE
Appenzeller
Monique
M
Buclin
Thierry
T
Pin
Marie
M
Mangin
Patrice
P
Giroud
Christian
C
D000208:Acute Disease; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D003861:Depersonalization / Q000139:chemically induced; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010259:Paranoid Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D011605:Psychoses, Substance-Induced / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*
D006213:Hallucinogens; D013759:Dronabinol