Cristina Casajuana Kögel1, María Mercedes Balcells-Olivero2, Hugo López-Pelayo2, Laia Miquel3, Lídia Teixidó2, Joan Colom4, David John Nutt5, Jürgen Rehm6, Antoni Gual3. 1. Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Grup de Recerca en Adiccions Clínic (GRAC), Addictions Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RTA), Spain. Electronic address: casajuana@clinic.cat. 2. Fundació Clínic per la Recerca Biomèdica, Barcelona, Spain; Grup de Recerca en Adiccions Clínic (GRAC), Addictions Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RTA), Spain. 3. Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Grup de Recerca en Adiccions Clínic (GRAC), Addictions Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RTA), Spain. 4. Agència de Salut Pública de Catalunya-Servei de Drogodependències, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. 5. Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK. 6. Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, (CAMH), Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, Canada; Addiction Policy, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto (UofT), Canada; Dept. of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UofT, Canada; Epidemiological Research Unit, Klinische Psychologie & Psychotherapie, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Reliable data on cannabis quantities is required to improve assessment of cannabis consumption for epidemiological analysis and clinical assessment, consequently a Standard Joint Unit (SJU) based on quantity of 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (9-THC) has been established. METHODOLOGY: Naturalistic study of a convenience sample recruited from February 2015-June 2016 in universities, leisure spaces, mental health services and cannabis clubs in Barcelona. Adults, reporting cannabis use in the last 60 days, without cognitive impairment or language barriers, answered a questionnaire on cannabis use and were asked to donate a joint to further determine their 9-THC and Cannabidiol (CBD) content. RESULTS: 492 participants donated 315 valid joints. Donators were on average 29 years old, mostly men (77%), single (75%), with at least secondary studies (73%) and in active employment (63%). Marijuana joints (N=232) contained a median of 6.56mg of 9-THC (Interquartile range-IQR=10,22) and 0.02mg of CBD (IQR=0.02); hashish joints (N=83) a median of 7.94mg of 9-THC (IQR=10,61) and 3.24mg of CBD (IQR=3.21). Participants rolled 4 joints per gram of cannabis and paid 5€ per gram (median values). CONCLUSION: Consistent 9-THC-content in joints lead to a SJU of 7mg of 9-THC, the integer number closest to the median values shared by both cannabis types. Independently if marijuana or hashish, 1 SJU = 1 joint = 0.25 g of cannabis = 7 mg of 9-THC. For CBD, only hashish SJU contained relevant levels. Similarly to the Standard Drink Unit for alcohol, the SJU is useful for clinical, epidemiological and research purposes.
OBJECTIVE: Reliable data on cannabis quantities is required to improve assessment of cannabis consumption for epidemiological analysis and clinical assessment, consequently a Standard Joint Unit (SJU) based on quantity of 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (9-THC) has been established. METHODOLOGY: Naturalistic study of a convenience sample recruited from February 2015-June 2016 in universities, leisure spaces, mental health services and cannabis clubs in Barcelona. Adults, reporting cannabis use in the last 60 days, without cognitive impairment or language barriers, answered a questionnaire on cannabis use and were asked to donate a joint to further determine their 9-THC and Cannabidiol (CBD) content. RESULTS: 492 participants donated 315 valid joints. Donators were on average 29 years old, mostly men (77%), single (75%), with at least secondary studies (73%) and in active employment (63%). Marijuana joints (N=232) contained a median of 6.56mg of 9-THC (Interquartile range-IQR=10,22) and 0.02mg of CBD (IQR=0.02); hashish joints (N=83) a median of 7.94mg of 9-THC (IQR=10,61) and 3.24mg of CBD (IQR=3.21). Participants rolled 4 joints per gram of cannabis and paid 5€ per gram (median values). CONCLUSION: Consistent 9-THC-content in joints lead to a SJU of 7mg of 9-THC, the integer number closest to the median values shared by both cannabis types. Independently if marijuana or hashish, 1 SJU = 1 joint = 0.25 g of cannabis = 7 mg of 9-THC. For CBD, only hashish SJU contained relevant levels. Similarly to the Standard Drink Unit for alcohol, the SJU is useful for clinical, epidemiological and research purposes.
Authors: Rachel L Tomko; Kevin M Gray; Marilyn A Huestis; Lindsay M Squeglia; Nathaniel L Baker; Erin A McClure Journal: Curr Addict Rep Date: 2019-11-19
Authors: Valentina Lorenzetti; Chandni Hindocha; Kat Petrilli; Paul Griffiths; Jamie Brown; Álvaro Castillo-Carniglia; Jonathan P Caulkins; Amir Englund; Mahmoud A ElSohly; Suzanne H Gage; Teodora Groshkova; Antoni Gual; David Hammond; Will Lawn; Hugo López-Pelayo; Jakob Manthey; Claire Mokrysz; Rosalie Liccardo Pacula; Margriet van Laar; Ryan Vandrey; Elle Wadsworth; Adam Winstock; Wayne Hall; H Valerie Curran; Tom P Freeman Journal: Addiction Date: 2021-10-27 Impact factor: 7.256
Authors: H Valerie Curran; Chandni Hindocha; Celia J A Morgan; Natacha Shaban; Ravi K Das; Tom P Freeman Journal: Psychol Med Date: 2018-09-04 Impact factor: 7.723
Authors: Hugo López-Pelayo; Silvia Matrai; Mercè Balcells-Olivero; Eugènia Campeny; Fleur Braddick; Matthijs G Bossong; Olga S Cruz; Paolo Deluca; Geert Dom; Daniel Feingold; Tom P Freeman; Pablo Guzman; Chandni Hindocha; Brian C Kelly; Nienke Liebregts; Valentina Lorenzetti; Jakob Manthey; João Matias; Clara Oliveras; Maria Teresa Pons; Jürgen Rehm; Moritz Rosenkranz; Zoe Swithenbank; Luc van Deurse; Julian Vicente; Mike Vuolo; Marcin Wojnar; Antoni Gual Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2021-05-20 Impact factor: 4.157