Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol discrimination in rats as a model for cannabis intoxication.
R L Balster, W R Prescott
Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews 1992 DOI: 10.1016/s0149-7634(05)80051-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats trained to discriminate delta 9-THC from nondrug, with comparison to human data |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Argues that delta 9-THC discrimination in rats is a valid animal model of cannabis intoxication, since only cannabinoid analogs fully substituted for the delta 9-THC stimulus and rat-human results agreed for 9 of 11 cannabinoids tested (two inconclusive). Cannabinoids with delta 9-THC-like effects span a 5,600-fold range of relative potencies. |
Abstract
Studies of the discriminative stimulus effects of delta 9-THC are reviewed. The results of generalization studies in rats trained to discriminate delta 9-THC from nondrug provide evidence for the pharmacological specificity of the delta 9-THC stimulus. Only cannabinoid analogs of delta 9-THC substitute fully for delta 9-THC. The ability of cannabinoids to produce delta 9-THC-like discriminative stimulus effects appears to predict delta 9-THC- or marihuana-like effects in humans. Of the 11 cannabinoids tested in rats and humans, the results with 9 are in complete concordance, and results with the remaining two are inconclusive. This concordance provides evidence for the validity of delta 9-THC discrimination in rats as an animal model of cannabis intoxication. A number of natural and synthetic cannabinoids have delta 9-THC-like discriminative stimulus effects. They represent a 5,600-fold range of relative potencies. Micromolar potency estimates and relative potencies to delta 9-THC for these compounds are provided. Correlations between these values and potencies for cellular actions of cannabinoids can be used to establish the neural substrates of cannabis intoxication.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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- Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) Dose Dependently Blocks or Substitutes for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in a Drug Discrimination Task in Rats Biomolecules September 18, 2025
- Discriminative stimulus properties of 3-substituent rimonabant analogs VCU Scholars Compass 2011
- Tolerance, physical dependence, and Δ9-THC-like interoceptive effects of cannabinol in mice. Drug and Alcohol Dependence September 1, 2026
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Cites 7
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- Interactions between delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol as evaluated by drug discrimination procedures in rats and pigeons. Neuropharmacology February 1986
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