title: Extended plasma cannabinoid excretion in chronic frequent cannabis smokers during sustained abstinence and correlation with psychomotor performance.
abstract: Cannabis smoking increases motor vehicle accident risk. Empirically defined cannabinoid detection windows are important to drugged driving legislation. Our aims were to establish plasma cannabinoid detection windows in frequent cannabis smokers and to determine if residual cannabinoid concentrations were correlated with psychomotor performance. Twenty-eight male chronic frequent cannabis smokers resided on a secure research unit for up to 33 days with daily blood collection. Plasma specimens were analyzed for Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 11-hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC), and 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THCCOOH) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Critical tracking and divided attention tasks were administered at baseline (after overnight stay to ensure lack of acute intoxication) and after 1, 2, and 3 weeks of cannabis abstinence. Twenty-seven of the twenty-eight participants were THC-positive at admission (median 4.2 µg/L). THC concentrations significantly decreased 24 h after admission, but were still ≥2 µg/L in 16 of the 28 participants 48 h after admission. THC was detected in 3 of 5 specimens on day 30. The last positive 11-OH-THC specimen was 15 days after admission. THCCOOH was measureable in 4 of 5 participants after 30 days of abstinence. Years of prior cannabis use significantly correlated with THC concentrations on admission, and days 7 and 14. Tracking error, evaluated by the Divided Attention Task, was the only evaluated psychomotor assessment significantly correlated with cannabinoid concentrations at baseline and day 8 (11-OH-THC only). Median THC was 0.3 µg/L in 5 chronic frequent cannabis smokers' plasma samples after 30 days of sustained abstinence. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Blvd. Suite 05A721, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.|Currently at Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, Division of Forensic Toxicology, 115 Purple Heart Drive, Dover AFB, DE, 19902, USA.
authors.forename: Erin L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Karschner
authors.affiliation: Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Blvd. Suite 05A721, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
authors.forename: Madeleine J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Swortwood
authors.affiliation: Molecular Imaging Branch, IRP, National Institute on Mental Health, NIH, 6001 Executive Blvd., Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.|Currently at Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Turku, 20014, Turun yliopisto, Finland.
authors.forename: Jussi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hirvonen
authors.affiliation: Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Blvd. Suite 05A721, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.|Currently at 7 Church Lane, Suite 15A, Pikesville, MD, 21208, USA.
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.affiliation: Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Blvd. Suite 05A721, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.|Currently at Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine-4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany.|Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, 6211 LK, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wendy M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Bosker
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, 6211 LK, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johannes G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ramaekers
authors.affiliation: Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Blvd. Suite 05A721, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
authors.forename: Marilyn A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Huestis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving; D002188:Cannabis; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000097:blood; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; C001427:11-hydroxy-delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol; C016780:11-nor-delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid; D013759:Dronabinol
keywords: abstinence; cannabinoid; cannabis; chronic; Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol