DELTA-1-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL AND 1ALPHA,2ALPHA-EPOXYHEXAHYDROCANNABINOL - MUTAGENICITY INVESTIGATION IN THE AMES TEST

1,2-Epoxyhexahydrocannabinol is a metabolite of Δ1-tetrahydrocannabinol. Because many epoxides are mutagens, we investigated 1,2-epoxyhexahydrocannabinol as well as Δ1-tetrahydrocannabinol for mutagenicity with Salmonella typhimurium TA1535, TA1537, TA98 and TA100 in the presence and in the absence of S9 mix from liver homogenate of rats treated with Aroclor 1254. Additionally, an epoxide hydratase inhibitor was used in some experiments. Whereas several other epoxides and further positive controls, not requiring activation or activated under the same conditions, respectively, showed strong mutagenicity, no indications of a mutagenic hazard by 1,2-epoxyhexahydrocannabinol or by Δ1-tetrahydrocannabinol were found. © 1979.