Split Dosing Qualified the Very Late THC Peak Reported in Sheep

The sheep pharmacokinetic study’s late plasma THC peak followed a dose split into two administrations twelve hours apart. That timing should not be presented as the absorption profile of one ordinary meal or a single human dose.

The clock began with the first half of the dose

The discussion reports a mean time to maximum concentration of about 97.5 hours from the first administration, with substantial variation. The authors identify split dosing as one possible contributor. They also propose delayed absorption associated with ruminant gastrointestinal handling, rather than demonstrating one complete mechanism for the late peak.

Administration history shapes the concentration curve

A second administration can contribute to later measured concentrations, and continued absorption can overlap elimination. Time to the highest observed concentration therefore cannot be interpreted without the actual dosing schedule. It is also bounded by when samples were collected and the intervals between them.

The experiment did not reproduce every feeding situation

The study used a high, defined oral exposure for pharmacokinetic characterization. Its discussion of grazing and possible accumulation is an extrapolation requiring further testing. The result does not establish a human intoxication timeline or the exact peak after routine hemp-feed exposure. A sound account preserves the two administrations and the time origin before quoting the unusually late peak.

Related analysis: the study’s broader findings and limitations.

Research cited

Stevens and colleagues (2024). The Pharmacokinetics of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Sheep.