Effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinol in man.
I G Karniol, I Shirakawa, R N Takahashi, E Knobel, R E Musty
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5 |
| Population | Five male volunteers |
| Interventions | delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC) cannabinol (CBN) placebo |
| Dose | 50 mg CBN; 25 mg delta9-THC; 12.5 mg delta9-THC + 25 mg CBN; 25 mg delta9-THC + 50 mg CBN |
| Duration | Administrations spaced 1 week apart |
| Measures | 66-item adjective-pair drug reaction scale |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | CBN appeared to increase some effects of delta9-THC, such as drugged, drunk, dizzy, and drowsy feelings and time-estimation changes, but these effects were small. delta9-THC raised heart rate while CBN did not, and adding CBN did not alter that effect; no changes occurred in electrocardiogram, blood pressure, body temperature, pain thresholds, or skin sensitivity. The authors state these small effects cannot account for the greater potency reported when plant material is used. |
Abstract
The interaction of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC) and cannabinol (CBN) was studied in man. Five male volunteers were given placebo, 50 mg CBN, 25 mg delta9-THC, 12.5 mg delta9-THC + 25 mg CBN, and 25 mg delta9-THC + 50 mg CBN (orally). Administrations were spaced 1 week apart. With physiological measures, delta9-THC produced an increase in heart rate while CBN did not. When combined, no change of the delta9-THC effect occurred. No changes occurred on the electrocardiogram, blood pressure, or body temperature. With psychophysical measures no changes occurred in pain thresholds or skin sensitivity as a function of drug treatment. In time estimates of the passage of 1 minute, delta9-THC alone produced underestimates of the passage of 1 minute and CBN alone had no effect. In combination the two drugs had a tendency to produce significant overestimates and underestimates of the passage of 1 minute. On a 66-item adjective-pair drug reaction scale, the volunteers reported feeling drugged, drunk, dizzy, and drowsy under the delta9-THC condition, but not under the CBN condition. With combined drug treatment, volunteers reported feeling more drugged, drunk, dizzy, and drowsy than under the delta9-THC condition alone. None of the drug treatments produced significant changes on other items which included items on perception, emotion, cognition and sociability. It appears that CBN increases the effect of delta9-THC on some aspects of physiological and psychological processes, but that these effects are small and cannot account for the greater potency which has been reported when plant material is used.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Healthy participants | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 48 |
| Distinct Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing Healthy, English-native, right-handed men who had used cannabis 15 times or less in... | 2009 | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial | n = 15 |
| Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Healthy male subjects | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 16 |
| Modulation of Mediotemporal and Ventrostriatal Function in Humans by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Healthy, native English-speaking, right-handed men of white race/ethnicity who had used... | 2009 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 15 |
| Cannabidiol (CBD) content in vaporized cannabis does not prevent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced impairment of driving and cognition Healthy volunteers with a history of light cannabis use | 2019 | Randomized, double-blind, within-subjects crossover | n = 14 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Neurophysiological and subjective profile of marijuana with varying concentrations of cannabinoids Behavioural Pharmacology September 1, 2005
- Evaluation of the Modulatory Effects of Minor Cannabinoids and Terpenes on Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Discrimination in Rats. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research September 2023
- Clinical, Cognitive, and Neurobiological Correlates of Impaired Timing Abilities Associate to Cannabis Use: a Systematic Review International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction August 29, 2023
- Acute Effects of THC on Time Perception in Frequent and Infrequent Cannabis Users Psychopharmacology November 24, 2012
- The cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist rimonabant attenuates the hypotensive effect of smoked marijuana in male smokers. American heart journal March 2006
and 2 more in the library