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Pharmacokinetics of 11-nor-9-Carboxy-Delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (CTHC) After Intravenous Administration of CTHC in Healthy Human Subjects.

Glaz-Sandberg A, Dietz L, Nguyen H, Oberwittler H, Aderjan R, Mikus G

1Department of Internal Medicine VI, Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.

After cannabis consumption there is only limited knowledge about the pharmacokinetic (PK) and metabolic properties of 11-nor-9-carboxy-Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (CTHC), which is formed by oxidative breakdown from Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Despite widely-varying concentrations observed in smoking studies, attempts have been made to interpret consumption behavior with special regard to a cumulated or decreasing concentration of CTHC in serum. Ten healthy nonsmoking white male individuals received 5 mg CTHC intravenously over 10 min. Highest serum concentrations of CTHC were observed at the end of the infusion (336.8+/-61.7 mug/l) followed by a quick decline. CTHC concentration could be quantified up to 96 h after administration, with a terminal elimination half-life of 17.6+/-5.5 h. Total clearance was low (91.2+/-24.0 ml/min), with renal clearance having only a minor contribution (0.136+/-0.094 ml/min). This first metabolite-based kinetic approach will allow an advanced understanding of CTHC PKs data obtained in previous studies with THC.Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2007) 82, 63-69. doi:10.1038/sj.clpt.6100199; published online 4 April 2007.

Published 15 June 2007 in Clin Pharmacol Ther, 82(1): 63-9.
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