Abstract
Six chimpanzees were trained to panel push under a food reinforcement baseline in which three operant schedules, each associated with a different stimulus, were presented successively. The fixed ratio (FR) reinforcement schedule required the emission of 40 responses for reinforcement. Reinforcement under the differential reinforcement of low rate (DRL) schedule was delivered only when successive responses were spaced by at least 10 sec. During the extinction or time out from positive reinforcement schedule (TO), no responses were reinforced. In Experiment 1, amounts of marihuana extract containing from 0.2 to 4.0 mg/kg (−)-Δ 9-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ 9-THC) were orally administered 1 h prior to experimentation. In Experiment 2, 1.0 mg/kg Δ 9-THC was orally administered between 1 and 23 h prior to experimental sessions. No disruption of stimulus control or drug effects during TO were observed. Both DRL and FR response suppression occurred at the highest drug dose. Lower Δ 9-THC doses produced facilitation of DRL responding up to 12 h following drug administration. Although FR responding was less sensitive, Δ 9-THC stimulated FR behavior from 2 to 5 h following drug administration. It was concluded that marihuana has a biphasic effect on food reinforcement schedule controlled operant behavior.
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This research was sponsored by Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs with the co-operation of the 6571st Aeromedical Research Laboratory, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico under Contract No. F 2960070-C-008. Manuscript prepared under Contract No. HSM-42-71-15 with the National Institute of Mental Health. Marihuana Extract Distillate obtained by approval of the FDA-NIMH Psychotomimetic Agents Advisory Committee. The animals involved in this study were maintained in accordance with “Guide for Laboratory Animal Facilities and Care” as published by the National Academy of Sciences—National Research Council.
The authors are deeply indebted to Dr. Milton Joffe for his initiation and guidance of the research and to Donald Lentz who served as on-site research administrator at the 6571st Aeromedical Research Laboratory. Gratitude is expressed also to Dr.Monique Braude for reading an earlier draft of the manuscript.
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Ferraro, D.P., Grilly, D.M. & Lynch, W.C. Effects of marihuana extract on the operant behavior of chimpanzees. Psychopharmacologia 22, 333–351 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406872
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406872