Am J Psychiatry 1985; 142:1325-1329
Copyright © 1985 by American Psychiatric Association
Carry-over effects of marijuana intoxication on aircraft pilot performance: a preliminary report
JA Yesavage, VO Leirer, M Denari and LE Hollister
Ten experienced licensed private pilots were trained for 8 hours on a
flight simulator landing task. They each smoked a cigarette containing 19
mg of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and 24 hours later their mean
performance on the flight task showed trends toward impairment on all
variables, with significant impairment in number and size of aileron
changes, size of elevator changes, distance off center on landing, and
vertical and lateral deviation on approach to landing. Despite these
deficits, the pilots reported no awareness of impaired performance. These
results may have implications for performance of complex tasks the day
after smoking marijuana.
