Baltimore, MD: Vaporizing cannabis, as opposed to smoking it, is associated with greater THC concentrations in blood, according to clinical trial data published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology.

A team of researchers from John Hopkins University in Maryland and the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina assessed cannabinoid concentrations in blood and in oral fluid following either marijuana smoking or vaporization.

Authors concluded: “For whole blood, greater detection sensitivity for ELISA testing was observed in vaporized conditions. Conversely, for oral fluid, greater sensitivity was observed in smoked sessions. … Vaporization appears to be a more efficient method of delivery compared with smoking.”

Prior research by the same team published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that vaporized cannabis is associated with more dramatic changes in drug-induced effects than is smoked marijuana.

For more information, contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, “Acute pharmacokinetic profile of smoked and vaporized cannabis in human blood and oral fluid,” appears in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology.

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