HEMOLYZED BLOOD AND SERUM LEVELS OF DELTA 9-THC: EFFECTS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF ROADSIDE SOBRIETY TESTS

A pilot study was conducted to ascertain the range of induced hemolyzed blood serum delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC) concentrations in 58 human subjects. Subjects were tested within 5 min of smoking a delta 9-THC cigarette and then at half-hour intervals to 150 min. The subjects initially demonstrated a broad range of delta 9-THC hemolyzed blood levels, which settled within an hour to levels comparable to those measured in California drivers who had been stopped for impaired driving, arrested, and tested for delta 9-THC. Serum levels, when correlated with performance or roadside sobriety tests, demonstrated a broad range (5 to 183 ng/mL) of delta 9-THC levels and an "adaptation" effect in the subjects' perception of their own impairment. Although this preliminary study was not a double-blind placebo experiment, the overall performance of human subjects demonstrated the "adaptation" effect, which may be a significant factor in making judgments while performing such complex tasks as driving. Also, the effects of the drug extended beyond the period of elevated delta 9-THC blood levels, perhaps because of THC metabolites that may contribute to impairment or the persistence of THC in the central nervous system. This pilot study will lay the groundwork for a program designed to determine the epidemiology and behavior correlates of marijuana use in motorists.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00221198
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

  100 Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700
  West Conshohocken, PA  United States  19428-2957
• Authors:
  • Reeve, V C
  • Robertson, W B
  • Grant, J
  • Soares, J R
  • Zimmermann, E G
  • Gillespie, H K
  • Hollister, L E
• Publication Date: 1983-10

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 963-971
• Serial:
  • Journal of Forensic Sciences
  • Volume: 28
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Blackwell Publishing
  • ISSN: 0022-1198
  • EISSN: 1556-4029
  • Serial URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1556-4029

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol tests; Blood analysis; Drugs; Impaired drivers; Marijuana; Roadside
• Old TRIS Terms: Blood tests; Driver impairment
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00396510
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-037 570
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 31 1985 12:00AM