Marijuana human performance effects

Chait LD and Pierri J (1992). Effect of smoked marijuana on human performance A critical review. In A Murphy and J Bartke (eds), Marijuana/Cannabinoids Neurobiology and... 

Chait, L.D. and Pierri, J., Effects of smoked marijuana on human performance a critical review, in Marijuanci/Cannabinoids Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Murphy, L. and Bartke, A., Eds., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1992, 387. 

Acute physical and psychological effects. Marijuana intoxication has an adverse effect on attention span, short-term memory, and psychomotor performance. Anxiety and panic attacks can occur, primarily in new users who are not familiar with marijuanas eflFects. At very high doses, some people experience delusions and hallucinations. There are no cases of fatal marijuana poisoning and humans are very unfikely to be able to ingest a fatal dose. The eflFect of marijuana intoxication impairs motor and cognitive abilities necessary to safely drive a car or operate machinery. The extent to which marijuana is involved in auto accidents is unclear. Many motorists intoxicated with marijuana drive more slowly and carefully and take fewer risks. However, there is an increased risk of accidents after using marijuana, but marijuana alone does not appear to contribute a great deal to accidents. Marijuana in combination with alcohol does. 

Cone EJ, Johnson RE, Moore JD, Roache JD. (1986). Acute effects of smoking marijuana on hormones, subjective effects and performance in male human subjects. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 24(6) 1749-54. 

Kelly, T.H., Foltin, R. W., and Fischman, M.W., Effects of smoked marijuana on heart rate, drug ratings and task performance by humans, Behav. Pharmacol., 4, 167, 1993. 

The human data, as well as the animal studies indicate that cannabinoids may ameliorate some symptoms of MS. Unfortunately, a definitive large-scale study has yet to be performed. Such a study should take into account that (a) the placebo effect in MS is very high (b) the effective doses recorded are close to, or identical with the doses that cause cannabimimetic effects (c) cannabis (marijuana, hashish) is obviously not identical to zf9-THC, and that other constituents may synergize THC action (d) smoking cannot be compared with oral administration, and (e) the anal route of administration [141] may be a preferred one. 

Acute and chronic administration of alcohol can inhibit the biotransformation or detoxification of many drugs, such as barbiturates, meprobamate, and amphetamines by liver enzymes. The effect can occur in two opposite ways. Alcohol and cannabinoids effects are additive. Both are CNS depressants. Animal studies indicate that simultaneous administration of alcohol and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana, increased the tolerance and physical dependence to alcohol. Human studies show that alcohol and THC combination enhanced the impairment of physical and mental performance only, and there is no evidence of any interaction between both drugs. With barbiturates. 

Key Words Cannabis marijuana dronabinol human smoked adverse events cardiovascular neurological cognition performance subjective effects. 

---