Abstract
After alcohol, marijuana is the most popular recreational drug in North America. Its effects are largely predictable in type, but not in degree, although they do appear in a roughly dose-dependent manner. The effects discussed here make a very convincing case for the potential for marijuana to impair driving, although as noted, the extent to which that potential is realized in a given case will be related to many other factors.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
General Readings
Couper, F. J. and Logan, B. K. (2004) Drugs and Human Performance Fact Sheets. NHTSA DOT HS 809 725.
Drugs and Drug Abuse (2002) Addiction Research Foundation, Toronto.
Huestis, M. A. (2002) Cannabis (marijuana)-effects on human performance and behavior. Forensic Sci. Rev. 14, 15–59.
Papafotiou, K., Carter, J. D., and Stough, C. (2004) An evaluation of the sensitivity of the Standardised Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) to detect impairment due to marijuana intoxication. Psychopharmacology (Berl). Dec 24 (published online).
Huestis, M. A., Mitchell, J. M., and Cone, E. J. (1996) Urinary excretion profiles of 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in humans after single smoked doses of mari-juana. J. Anal. Toxicol. 20, 441–452.
Huestis, M. A., Mitchell, J. M., and Cone, E. J. (1995) Detection times of marijuana metabolites in urine by immunoassay and GC-MS. J. Anal. Toxicol. 19, 443–449.
Ellis, G. M. Jr, Mann, M. A., Judson, B. A., Schramm, N. T., and Tashchian, A. (1985) Excretion patterns of cannabinoid metabolites after last use in a group of chronic users. Clin. Pharmacol. Ther. 38, 572–578.
Owens, S.M., McBay, A.J., Reisner, H.M., and Perez-Reyes, M. (1981) 125l radioimmunoassay of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolin blood and plasma with a solid-phase secondantibody separation method. Clin. Chem. 27, 619.
Skopp, G., Potsch, L., Mauden, M., and Richter, B. (2002) Partition coefficient, blood to plasma ratio, protein binding and short-term stability of 11-nor-delta(9)-carboxy tetrahydrocannabinol glucuronide. Forensic Sci. Int. 126, 17–23.
Robbe, H. W. and O’Hanlon, J. F. (1993) Marijuana and Actual Driving Performance. DOT HS 808 078. US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Barnett, G. and Willette, R. E. (1989) Feasibility of chemical testing for drug impaired performance, in Advances in Analytical Toxicology, (Baselt, R.C., ed.), Yearbook Medical Publishers, Chicago, IL, p. 218.
Huestis, M. A., Henningfield, J. E., and Cone, E. J. (1992) Blood cannabinoids. II. Models for the prediction of time of marijuana exposure from plasma concentrations of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) J. Anal Toxicol. 16, 283–290.
Mason, A. P. and McBay, A. J. (1985) Cannabis; Pharmacology and interpretation of ef-fects. J. Forensic Sci. 30, 615–631.
Peat, M. A. (1989) Distribution of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and its metabolites, in Advances in Analytical Toxicology II (Baselt, R. C., ed.), Book Medical Publishers, Chicago, IL, pp. 186–217.
Bogusz, M. (1993) Concerning blood cannabinoids and the effect of residual THCCOOH on calculated exposure time. J. Anal. Toxicol. 17, 313–316.
Moeller, M. R., Doerr, G., and Warth, S. (1992) Simultaneous quantitation of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) in serum by GC/MS using deuterated internal standards and its application to a smoking study and forensic cases. J. Forensic Sci. 37, 969–983.
Huestis, M.A. (2002) Cannabis (marijuana)-effects on human performance and behavior. Forensic Sci. Rev. 14, 15–59.
Couper, F. J., Pemberton, M., Jarvis, A., Hughes, M., and Logan, B. K. (2002) Prevalence of drug use in commercial tractor-trailer drivers. J. Forensic Sci. 47, 562–567.
Lund, A. K., Preusser, D. F., Blomberg, R. D., and Williams, A. F. (1988) Drug use by tractor-trailer drivers. J. Forensic Sci. 33, 648–661.
Ramaekers, J. G., Berghaus, G., van Laar, M., and Drummer, O. H. (2004) Dose related risk of motor vehicle crashes after Cannabis use. Drug Alcohol Depend. 73, 109–119.
Hunter, C. E., Lokan, R. J., and Longo, M. C. (1998) The prevalence and role of alcohol, cannabinoids, benzodiazepines and stimulants in non-fatal crashes. Forensic Science, Department for Administrative and Information Services, Adelaide, South Australia.
Longo, M. C., Hunter, C. E., Lokan, R. J., White, J. M., and White, M. A. (2000) The prevalence of alcohol, cannabinoids, benzodiazepines and stimulants amongst injured drivers and their role in driver culpability: part II: the relationship between drug prevalence and drug concentration, and driver culpability. Accid. Anal. Prev. 32, 623–632.
Drummer, O. H., Gerostamoulos, J., Batziris, H., et al. (2004) The involvement of drugs in drivers of motor vehicles killed in Australian road traffic crashes. Accid. Anal. Prev. 36, 239–248.
Terhune, K. W. and Fell, J.C. (1982) The role of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs in the accidents of injured drivers. (Tech. Rep. under Contract No. DOT-HS-5-01179). Calspan Field Services Inc., Buffalo, NY.
Williams, A. F., Peat, M. A., Crouch, D. J., Wells, J. K., and Finkle, B. S. (1985) Drugs in fatally injured young male drivers. Public Health Rep. 100, 19–25.
Terhune, K. W., Ippolito, C. A., Hendriks, D. L., and Michalovic, J. G. (1992) The incidence and role of drugs in fatally injured drivers. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Final Report under Contract No. DTNH 22-88-C-07069.
Drummer, O. H. (1994) Drugs in drivers killed in Australian road traffic accidents. Victorian Institute of Forensic Pathology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (report no. 0594).
Lowenstein, S. R. and Koziol-Mclain, J. (2001) Drugs and traffic crash responsibility: a study of injured motorists in Colorado. J. Trauma 50, 313–320.
Drummer, O. H., Gerostamoulos, J., Batziris, H., et al. (2003) The incidence of drugs in drivers killed in Australian road traffic crashes. Forensic. Sci. Int. 134, 154–162.
Klonoff, H. (1974) Marijuana and driving in real-life situations. Science 186, 317–324.
Lamers, C. T. and Ramaekers, J. G. (2001) Visual search and urban driving under the influence of marijuana and alcohol. Hum. Psychopharmacol. 16, 393–401.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, New Jersey
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Logan, B.K. (2007). Marijuana and Driving Impairment. In: ElSohly, M.A. (eds) Marijuana and the Cannabinoids. Forensic Science And Medicine. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-947-9_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-947-9_12
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-456-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-947-9
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)