Skip to main content
Log in

Effects of Cannabis sativa (marihuana) on maze performance of the rat

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Psychopharmacologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Male Wistar rats injected with a Cannabis sativa (marihuana) extract 3 minutes before or 30 seconds after trials, were compared to a control group for performance in a Lashley III alley maze. Animals that had received cannabis 3 minutes before trials were better performers than controls; on the other hand, posttrial injections were found to increase the running time of the subjects, although the number of errors remained the same as in the control rats. Five out of 32 rats receiving cannabis were disrupted by the treatment. These findings are discussed in the light of the perseveration-consolidation theory of memory.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams, R., and B. R. Baker: Structure of Cannabidiol. VI. A method of synthesis of a tetrahydrocannabinol which possesses marihuana activity. J. Amer. chem. Soc. 62, 2405–2408 (1940).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: M. Harfenist, and S. Loewe: New analogs of tetrahydrocannabinol. J. Amer. chem. Soc. 71, 1624–1628 (1949).

    Google Scholar 

  • Allentuck, S.: The Marihuana problem in the city of New York, by the Mayor's Committee on Marihuana, p. 35. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: The Jaques Cattell Press 1944.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alles, G. A., A. J. Haagen-Smith, G. A. Feigen, and W. B. Dandliker: Evidence of another physiologically active principle in Cannabis sativa (marihuana). J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 76, 21–26 (1942).

    Google Scholar 

  • Anslinger, H. J.: More on marihuana and Mayor La Guardia's committee report. J. Amer. med. Ass. 128, 1187 (1945).

    Google Scholar 

  • Breen, R. A., and J. L. McGaugh: Facilitation of maze learning with posttrial injections of picrotoxin. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 54, 498–501 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlini, G. R. S., and E. A. Carlini: Effects of strychnine and Cannabis sativa (marihuana) on the nucleic acid content in brain of the rat. Med. exp. (Basel) (in press).

  • Chamberlain, T. J., G. H. Rothschild, and R. W. Gerard: Drugs affecting RNA and learning. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 49, 918–924 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook, L., A. B. Davidson, D. J. Davis, H. Green, and E. J. Fellows: Ribonucleic acid: Effect on conditioned behavior in rats. Science 141, 268–269 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dagirmanjian, R., and E. S. Boyd: Some pharmacological effects of two tetrahydrocannabinols. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 135, 25–33 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, T. W. M., C. G. Farmilo, and M. Osadchuk: Identification and origin determinations of Cannabis by gas and paper chromatography. Analyt. Chem. 35, 751–754 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaddum, J. H.: Pharmacology. Oxford University Press. London, p. 143 (1953).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gayer, H.: Pharmakologische Wertbestimmung von orientalischem Haschisch und Herba Cannabis indica. Naunyn-Schmiedebergs Arch. exp. Path. Pharmak. 129, 312–318 (1928).

    Google Scholar 

  • Geiling, E. M. K.: Marihuana: America's new drug problem. Ed. R. P. Walton. Philadelphia, Pa.: J. B. Lippincott 1938.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hebb, D. O.: The organization of behavior. New York: John Wiley and Sons 1949.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hydén, H., and E. Egyházi: Nuclear RNA changes of nerve cells during a learning experiment in rats. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 48, 1366–1373 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  • Imbesi, A.: Sull'attivita farmacologica della canape indiana. Arch. ital. Sci. farmacol. 9, 3–4 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, M.: Marihuana: tetrahydrocannabinol and related compounds. Science 140, 175–176 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucena J.: A Maconha, p. 116. Rio de Janeiro: Ministério da Educação do Brasil. 1951.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGaugh, J. L.: Facilitative and disruptive effects of strychnine sulphate on maze learning. Psychol. Rep. 8, 99–104 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  • —, and C. W. Thomson: Facilitation of simultaneous discrimination learning with strychnine sulphate. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 3, 166–172 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  • — —, W. H. Westbrook and W. J. Hudspeth: A further study of learning facilitation with strychnine sulphate. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 3, 352–360 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  • —, W. H. Westbrook, and C. W. Thomson: Facilitation of maze learning with posttrial injections of 5,7-diphenyl-1,3-diazadamantan-6-ol (1757 I. S.). J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 55, 710–713 (1962a).

    Google Scholar 

  • Veiga, E. P., and A. R. Pinho: Contribuição ao estudo do cannabismo no Brasil. Neurobiologia 25, 38–68 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wollner, H. T., J. R. Matchett, J. Levine, and S. Loewe: Isolation of a physiologically active tetrahydrocannabinol from Cannabis sativa resin. J. Amer. chem. Soc. 64, 26–29 (1942).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Carlim, E.A., Kramer, C. Effects of Cannabis sativa (marihuana) on maze performance of the rat. Psychopharmacologia 7, 175–181 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00411216

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00411216

Keywords

Navigation