With the increasing prevalence and use of cannabis products by the public, there exists a need to better understand the safety impact of cannabis use, particularly when it comes to subjective perceptions of drug effect and driving impairment. This study aims to evaluate the dose-dependent effects of oral Δ9-THC alone and in combination with alcohol (0.08% BAC \[Blood Alcohol Concentration\]) on driving performance and subjective feeling in healthy adults. The results of this study will address current knowledge gaps on the effects of oral Δ9-THC on driving impairment across a clinically relevant dose range.
The cannabis plant contains bioactive compounds known as cannabinoids, with delta-9 tetrahydrocannabidiol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) being the most well-known cannabinoids in varieties of cannabis. With the increasing prevalence and use of cannabis products by the public, there exists a need to better understand the safety impact of cannabis use, particularly when it comes to subjective perceptions of drug effect and driving impairment. Studies have evaluated the effects of Δ9-THC on perception and driving capacity, however they have largely focused on inhaled routes of administration in experienced users and at relatively high doses. Research on the impact of oral Δ9-THC use in occasional users at lower doses (10 mg and below) on driving capacity is limited. Furthermore, despite the increasing prevalence of concurrent cannabis and alcohol use, there also remains a significant gap in research examining the combined effects of oral THC and alcohol on driving performance. This study aims to evaluate the dose-dependent effects of oral Δ9-THC alone and in combination with alcohol (0.08% BAC \[Blood Alcohol Concentration\]) on driving performance and subjective feeling in healthy adults. These effects will also be compared to the established alcohol-related impairment benchmark of blood alcohol content (0.08% BAC). The inclusion of an alcohol-only arm targeting 0.08% BAC will serve as a relevant positive control, representing the legal intoxication threshold in most states in the USA and providing a well-characterized impairment baseline against which THC and THC/alcohol combination effects can be measured. The results of this study will address current knowledge gaps on the effects of oral Δ9-THC on driving impairment across a clinically relevant dose range. In this randomized, double-blind, 6-period crossover study, 48 healthy adult volunteers with driving experience and previous cannabis exposure will receive single oral doses across six treatment conditions: 5 mg THC, 10 mg THC, 5 mg THC combined with alcohol (target BAC of 0.08%), 10 mg THC combined with alcohol (target BAC of 0.08%), alcohol alone (target BAC of 0.08%), and matched placebo, with washout periods between treatments. The study will evaluate the dose-dependent effects of Δ9-THC (with and without alcohol) on both objective driving performance and subjective participant experience. Objectives primarily include standardized driving simulator assessments measuring standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP) and standard deviation of speed (SDSP), as well as subjective effects measured through use of Visual Analogue Scales (VAS). Assessments will be conducted at baseline and predetermined intervals post-dose over 24 hours.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
48
Subjects in this arm will receive one dose of 5 mg THC (Dronabinol) with a placebo beverage in one of the assigned treatment days.
Subjects in this arm will receive one dose of 10 mg THC (Dronabinol) with a placebo beverage in one of the assigned treatment days.
Subjects in this arm will receive one dose of 5 mg THC (Dronabinol) with an alcoholic beverage (to achieve a target BAC of 0.08%) in one of the assigned treatment days.
Subjects in this arm will receive one dose of 10 mg THC (Dronabinol) with an alcoholic beverage (to achieve a target BAC of 0.08%) in one of the assigned treatment days.
Subjects in this arm will receive placebo capsule with an alcoholic beverage (to achieve a target BAC of 0.08%) in one of the assigned treatment days.
Subjects in this arm will receive a placebo capsule with a placebo beverage in one of the assigned treatment days.
Spaulding Clinical Research
West Bend, Wisconsin, United States
RECRUITINGSpaulding Clinical
West Bend, Wisconsin, United States
RECRUITINGSimulated driving performance as measured by Standard Deviation of Lateral Position (SDLP) after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to alcohol alone.
Simulated driving performance will be measured by the endpoint standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP) using a STISIM (model M4000-R) driving simulator after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to active control (alcohol alone).
Time frame: Up to 8 hours after study drug administration.
Simulated driving performance as measured by Standard Deviation of Lateral Position (SDLP) after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to placebo.
Simulated driving performance will be measured by the endpoint standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP) using a STISIM (model M4000-R) driving simulator after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to placebo.
Time frame: Up to 8 hours after study drug administration.
Simulated driving performance as measured by Standard Deviation of Speed Position (SDSP) after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to placebo.
Simulated driving performance will be measured by the endpoint standard deviation of speed position (SDSP) using a STISIM (model M4000-R) driving simulator after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to placebo.
Time frame: Up to 8 hours after study drug administration.
Simulated driving performance as measured by Standard Deviation of Speed Position (SDSP) after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to alcohol alone.
Simulated driving performance will be measured by the endpoint standard deviation of speed position (SDSP) using a STISIM (model M4000-R) driving simulator after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to alcohol alone.
Time frame: Up to 8 hours after study drug administration.
Maximum subjective self-rated driving impairment after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to placebo.
Maximum subjective self-rated driving impairment after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to placebo will be measured by the VAS question (VAS "drug driving impairment"): "How much did the study drug affect your driving?"
Time frame: Up to 24 hours after study drug administration.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Drug Effect" after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to placebo.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Drug Effect" after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to placebo will be measured by the VAS question (VAS "Drug Effect"): "Are you feeling a drug effect right now?"
Time frame: Up to 24 hours after study drug administration.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Willingness to Drive" after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to placebo.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Willingness to Drive" after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to placebo will be measured by the VAS question (VAS "Willingness to Drive"): "Would you drive in your current state right now?"
Time frame: Up to 24 hours after study drug administration.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Confidence in Driving" after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to placebo.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Confidence in Driving" after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to placebo will be measured by the VAS question (VAS Confidence in Driving): "How confident are you in your driving ability?"
Time frame: Up to 24 hours after study drug administration.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Liking" after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to placebo.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Liking" after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to placebo will be measured by the VAS question (VAS Liking): "How much do you like the drug effects right now?"
Time frame: Up to 24 hours after study drug administration.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "High" after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to placebo.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "High" after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to placebo will be measured by the VAS question (VAS High): "How high do you feel right now?"
Time frame: Up to 24 hours after study drug administration.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Bad Effects" after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to placebo.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Bad Effects" after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to placebo will be measured by the VAS question (VAS Bad Effects): "Are you feeling any bad effects right now?"
Time frame: Up to 24 hours after study drug administration.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Drowsy" after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to placebo.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Drowsy" after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to placebo will be measured by the VAS question (VAS Drowsy): "How drowsy do you feel right now?"
Time frame: Up to 24 hours after study drug administration.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Take Drug Again" after Δ9-THC administration alone or in combination with alcohol compared to placebo.
Maximum subjective feeling state of VAS "Take Drug Again" after Δ9-THC administration (5 mg, 10 mg, 5 mg with alcohol, 10 mg with alcohol) compared to placebo will be measured by the VAS question (VAS Take Drug Again): "How likely are you to take this drug again?"
Time frame: Up to 24 hours after study drug administration.
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