Citation

Zimmerman EG, Yeager EP, Soares JR, Hollister LE, Reeve VC. J. Forensic Sci. 1983; 28(4): 957-962.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1983, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

6313845

Abstract

The major psychoactive cannabinoid in marihuana, delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was measured in 1792 randomly selected blood specimens from erratic motorists arrested for impairment who submitted to blood alcohol sampling. Of these specimens, 14.4% were positive for THC (greater than or equal to 5.5 ng/mL). In those erratic driver specimens negative for alcohol THC positives rose to 23%. Drivers who used marihuana covered a broad age range. Aliquots of hemolyzed blood (10 microL) were analyzed by a sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) not requiring extraction. RIA accuracy and specificity were validated by gas liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GLC/MS) split pair analysis (correlation coefficient = 0.93). This initial experience should facilitate and amplify a program designed to set forth the epidemiology of marihuana use in motorists and possible behavioral correlates.

Keywords: Cannabis impaired driving

Language: en