title: Cannabis effects on driving longitudinal control with and without alcohol.
abstract: Although evidence suggests cannabis impairs driving, its driving-performance effects are not fully characterized. We aimed to establish cannabis' effects on driving longitudinal control (with and without alcohol, drivers' most common drug combination) relative to psychoactive ∆(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) blood concentrations. Current occasional (≥1×/last 3 months, ≤3 days per week) cannabis smokers drank placebo or low-dose alcohol, and inhaled 500 mg placebo, low (2.9%), or high (6.7%) THC vaporized cannabis over 10 min ad libitum in separate sessions (within-subject, six conditions). Participants drove (National Advanced Driving Simulator, University of Iowa) simulated drives 0.5-1.3 h post-inhalation. Blood and breath alcohol samples were collected before (0.17 and 0.42 h) and after (1.4 and 2.3 h) driving. We evaluated the mean speed (relative to limit), standard deviation (SD) of speed, percent time spent >10% above/below the speed limit (percent speed high/percent speed low), longitudinal acceleration, and ability to maintain headway relative to a lead vehicle (headway maintenance) against blood THC and breath alcohol concentrations (BrAC). In N=18 completing drivers, THC was associated with a decreased mean speed, increased percent speed low and increased mean following distance during headway maintenance. BrAC was associated with increased SD speed and increased percent speed high, whereas THC was not. Neither was associated with altered longitudinal acceleration. A less-than-additive THC*BrAC interaction was detected in percent speed high (considering only non-zero data and excluding an outlying drive event), suggesting cannabis mitigated drivers' tendency to drive faster with alcohol. Cannabis was associated with slower driving and greater headway, suggesting a possible awareness of impairment and attempt to compensate. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, 251 Bayview Boulevard Street, 200 Rm 05A721, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.affiliation: National Advanced Driving Simulator, University of Iowa, 2401 Oakdale Boulevard, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Milavetz
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spurgin
authors.affiliation: VariableSolutions, USA.
authors.forename: Russell S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gorelick
authors.affiliation: Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gaffney
authors.affiliation: Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, 251 Bayview Boulevard Street, 200 Rm 05A721, Baltimore, MD, USA. mhuestis@intra.nida.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Marilyn A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Huestis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D001944:Breath Tests; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000066448:Driving Under the Influence / Q000523:psychology; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000097:blood; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D013759:Dronabinol
keywords: THC; alcohol; blood; cannabis; driving; speed