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Acute subjective effects after smoking joints containing up to 69 mg Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in recreational users: a randomized, crossover clinical trial

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Abstract

Rationale

An increase in the potency of the cannabis cigarettes has been observed over the past three decades.

Objectives

In this study, we aimed to establish the impact of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the rating of subjective effects (intensity and duration of the effects), up to 23 % THC potency (69 mg THC) among recreational users.

Methods

Recreational users (N = 24) smoked cannabis cigarettes with four doses of THC (placebo 29, 49 and 69 mg of THC) on four separate test days in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. The participants filled in three different questionnaires measuring subjective effects during the exposure up to 8 h post-smoking. The ‘high’ feeling, heart rate, blood pressure and THC serum concentrations were also regularly recorded during these 8 h.

Results

THC significantly increased the high feeling, dizziness, dry-mouthed feeling, palpitations, impaired memory and concentration, and ‘down’, ‘sedated’ and ‘anxious’ feelings. In addition, THC significantly decreased alertness, contentment and calmness. A cubic relationship was observed between ‘feeling the drug’ and ‘wanting more’. The THC-induced decrease in ‘feeling stimulated’ and increase in anxiety lasted up to 8 h post-smoking. Sedation at 8 h post-smoking was increased by a factor of 5.7 with the highest THC dose, compared to the placebo.

Conclusions

This study shows a strong effect of cannabis containing high percentages of THC on the rating of subjective effects. Regular users and forensic toxicologists should be aware that the THC-induced increase in ‘feeling sedated’ continues longer with a 69 mg THC dose than with a 29 mg THC dose.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport which had no further role in study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data and writing the reports. The authors thank Dr. T.T. Mensinga for his essential contribution to design and acquisition of data in this study. The authors also wish to express their gratitude to Mrs. Pippa van Leeuwen for her linguistic advice.

Conflict of interest

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Dutch Poisons Information Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508, GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Claudine C. Hunault, Irma de Vries & Jan Meulenbelt

  2. Alan Turing Institute Almere, Almere, The Netherlands

    Koen B. E. Böcker

  3. Department of Experimental Psychology and Psychopharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Koen B. E. Böcker & J. Leon Kenemans

  4. Julius Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    R. K. Stellato

  5. Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Jan Meulenbelt

  6. Department of Intensive Care Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Jan Meulenbelt

Authors
  1. Claudine C. Hunault
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  2. Koen B. E. Böcker
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  3. R. K. Stellato
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  4. J. Leon Kenemans
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  5. Irma de Vries
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  6. Jan Meulenbelt
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Correspondence to Claudine C. Hunault.

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Hunault, C.C., Böcker, K.B.E., Stellato, R.K. et al. Acute subjective effects after smoking joints containing up to 69 mg Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in recreational users: a randomized, crossover clinical trial. Psychopharmacology 231, 4723–4733 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-014-3630-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-014-3630-2

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