Marijuana Intoxication in Rats: Interruption of Recent Memory and Effect on Brain Concentration of Delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol

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Abstract
Rats exposed to marijuana smoke injected into a chamber immediately after passive avoidance training, showed a significant failure to perform the conditioned avoidance response 24 hr. later. A delivered dose of marijuana resulted in appreciable concentrations of its major behaviorally active metabolite, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in the absence of gross signs of intoxication, 24 hr. later. The greatest regional brain concentration of Δ9-THC occurred in the hippocampus, a region usually associated with memory trace processing and retention. The present study demonstrates that (1) marijuana intoxication can produce a retrograde amnesia in rats and (2) the amnesic effect is likely to depend upon Δ9-THC accumulation in the hippocampus and is probably not dependent upon the post-training intoxication state.