Effects of marijuana smoking on subjective ratings and tobacco smoking

Multiple measures of tobacco cigarette smoking and subjective and physiological effect were collected during 90 minute test sessions in volunteer cigarette smokers who also had histories of recreational marijuana use. Before sessions, subjects smoked one marijuana cigarette (placebo or 1.29%, 2.84%, 4.00%) using a standardized puffing procedure. Each dose and placebo was given four times to each subject in a randomized block sequence. Marijuana smoking produced dose-related increases in heart rate, ratings of dose strength and drug liking. However, marijuana produced no significant alterations in tobacco cigarette smoking. Puff duration within each marijuana cigarette varied in a fashion similar to that observed in previous studies of tobacco cigarette smoking: puff duration progressively decreased as the cigarette was smoked. This effect is probably due to progressive decreases in resistance to draw as the cigarette is smoked. Expired air carbon monoxide (CO) levels following marijuana smoking were inversely related to marijuana dose, suggesting the occurrence of some compensatory changes in marijuana smoking in response to dose manipulations. It is concluded that, although marijuana produces dose-related effects on physiological and subjective effects and on marijuana smoking behavior, marijuana differs from a variety of other psychoactive drugs previously studied in this paradigm in that no reliable changes in tobacco smoking were produced.