Roadside screening tests for cannabis use: A systematic review

Erica Wennberg; Sarah B. Windle; Kristian B. Filion; Brett D. Thombs; Genevieve Gore; Andrea Benedetti; Roland Grad; Carolyn Ells; Mark J. Eisenberg

Heliyon (Apr 2023)

Roadside screening tests for cannabis use: A systematic review

Erica Wennberg,
Sarah B. Windle,
Kristian B. Filion,
Brett D. Thombs,
Genevieve Gore,
Andrea Benedetti,
Roland Grad,
Carolyn Ells,
Mark J. Eisenberg

Affiliations

Erica Wennberg: Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital/McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Sarah B. Windle: Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital/McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
Kristian B. Filion: Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital/McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
Brett D. Thombs: Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital/McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Counselling and Educational Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Biomedical Ethics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
Genevieve Gore: Schulich Library of Science and Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Andrea Benedetti: Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Respiratory Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
Roland Grad: Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital/McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
Carolyn Ells: Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital/McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Biomedical Ethics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Division of Experimental Medicine and Department of Social Studies of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
Mark J. Eisenberg: Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital/McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Division of Cardiology, Jewish General Hospital/McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Corresponding author. Divisions of Cardiology and Clinical Epidemiology, Jewish General Hospital/McGill University, 3755 Côte Ste-Catherine Road, Suite H421, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9, no. 4
p. e14630

Abstract

Read online

As more countries legalize recreational cannabis, roadside screening programs are imperative to detect and deter driving under the influence of cannabis. This systematic review evaluated roadside screening tests for cannabis use. We searched six databases (inception-March 2020) and grey literature sources for primary studies evaluating test characteristics of roadside screening tests for cannabis use compared to laboratory tests for cannabinoids in blood or oral fluid. The synthesis was focused on sensitivity and specificity of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) detection. 101 studies were included. Oral fluid tests were higher in specificity and lower in sensitivity compared to urine tests when evaluated against blood laboratory tests. Oral fluid tests were higher in sensitivity and similar in specificity compared to observational tests when evaluated against blood and oral fluid laboratory tests. Sensitivity was variable among oral fluid tests; two instrumented immunoassays (Draeger DrugTest 5000 [5 ng/mL THC cut-off] and Alere DDS 2 Mobile Test System) appeared to perform best, but definitive conclusions could not be drawn due to imprecise estimates. Specificities were similar. Overall, oral fluid tests showed the most promise for use in roadside screening for blood THC levels over legal limits; their continued development and testing are warranted. Urine tests are generally inadvisable, and observational tests require sensitivity improvements.

Published in Heliyon

ISSN: 2405-8440 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Science (General); Social Sciences: Social sciences (General)
Website: https://www.cell.com/heliyon/home

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords