Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36939145›Full record

Observational studyClinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)2023

The minor cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG) is a highly specific blood biomarker of recent cannabis smoking.

John M Rague, Ming Ma, Gregory Dooley, George Sam Wang, Kyle Friedman, Thomas K Henthorn, Ashley Brooks-Russell, Michael J Kosnett

Open access · greenAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Interpol review of forensic drug chemistry, 2022-2025.Forensic science international. Synergy · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

John M RagueRocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety, Denver Health, Denver, CO, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5854-8365
Ming MaDepartment of Community and Behavioral Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6511-3036
Gregory DooleyDepartment of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3296-0300
George Sam WangDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2931-3508
Kyle FriedmanRocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety, Denver Health, Denver, CO, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7125-4417
Thomas K HenthornDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8993-3936
Ashley Brooks-RussellDepartment of Community and Behavioral Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7728-8423
Michael J KosnettDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3599-3183
Colorado School of Public Health · USDenver Health Medical Center · USUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus · USColorado State University · US

Funding

Novel approaches to assessing cannabis impaired drivingR01DA049800 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI BROOKS-RUSSELL, ASHLEY · 2020 to 2024
$2.6M
NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA049800
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe determination of recent cannabis use is of forensic interest in the investigation of automotive crashes, workplace incidents and other mishaps. Because Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol may persist in blood after psychoactive effects of intoxication resolve, particularly in regular users, short-lived minor cannabinoids such as cannabigerol have merited examination as adjunct indicators of recent cannabis inhalation.

methodsAs part of an observational cohort study, whole blood cannabinoids including cannabigerol were measured in whole blood by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry at baseline, and 30 minutes after initiation of a 15-minute supervised interval of

resultsAt baseline, none of the occasional users had detectable cannabigerol (limit of detection = 0.2 µg/L), whereas cannabigerol was detectable post-smoking in 7 of 24 (29%). Among daily cannabis users, 2 of 32 (6%) had detectable cannabigerol at baseline, increasing to 21 of 32 (66%) post-smoking. The odds ratio for recent cannabis smoking associated with a detectable cannabigerol was 27 (95% confidence interval: 6.6, 110.3). In this mixed cohort of occasional and daily cannabis users, receiver operator characteristic curve analysis indicated that whole blood cannabigerol concentration of ≥ 0.2 µg/L had 96% specificity, 50% sensitivity, and 73% accuracy for identifying a 15-minute interval of

conclusionWhole blood cannabigerol may have forensic utility as a highly specific albeit insensitive biomarker of recent cannabis smoking.

Indexed as

CannabinoidsCannabisHallucinogensMarijuana SmokingBiomarkersCannabinoid Receptor AgonistsDronabinolHumansSubstance Abuse DetectionBiomarkerscannabigerolCannabinoid Receptor AgonistsCannabinoidsDronabinolHallucinogensBlood cannabinoidscannabis forensicsCannabis kineticsCBGTHCTHC-COOH

Identifiers

PMID36939145
PMCPMC10428941
OpenAlexW4327898098

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.