45 Drug Discovery, Pharmaceuticals & Cannabis Testing
Red Light/Green Light? Red wavelengths will illicit the response, but lesser so than blue light. The response to red is because in the absence of any substance such as marijuana, a normal pupil response, there is a consensual response to red light [19]. The distribution of those cells responsive to red light is in the nasal retina. Nasal retinal cells cross over to the opposite side of the brain and thus consensual but not direct responses. Green light does not illicit any marijuana related rebound dilation response as green light drives primarily cone related functions, not ipRGC.
With the advancement of technology such as IMMAD, as well as discovery of the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC)[19-23], there has been improved understanding of marijuana induced dysfunctions in the visual system. Techniques to measure the dysfunctions related to visual perception in the magnocellular pathways involving contrast, peripheral vision, depth and motion and pupil responses, helps us better identify those drivers impaired by marijuana and remove these deadly drivers from our highways and roads. IMMAD is an effective technology to determine the impairment of functions critical for safe driving such as motion, depth, and contrast.
The inability to see Red Light/Green Lights after inhaled marijuana consumption can result in more deaths on our roads. Pertaining to the use of marijuana and driving, it is not a game, there are real life consequences with potentially fatal outcomes.
4. Valenti DA and Halsor C, Acute Cannabis Use: Retinal Function. Invest Ophthal Vis Sci 2018. 59 (5292).
5. Yazulla, S., Endocannabinoids in the retina: from marijuana to neuroprotection. Prog Retin Eye Res, 2008. 27(5): p. 501-26.
6. Straiker, A.J., et al., Localization of cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the human anterior eye and retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 1999. 40(10): p. 2442-8.
7. Polli, L., et al., Oscillatory potentials abnormalities in regular cannabis users: Amacrine cells dysfunction as a marker of central dopaminergic modulation. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, 2021. 108: p. 110083.
8. Mikulskaya, E. and F.H. Martin, Contrast sensitivity and motion discrimination in cannabis users. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 2018. 235(8): p. 2459-2469.
9. Jung, K.I., E.K. Kim, and C.K. Park, Usefulness of frequency doubling technology perimetry 24-2 in glaucoma with parafoveal scotoma. Medicine (Baltimore), 2017. 96(24): p. e6855.
10. Valenti, D.A., Functional Losses in Parkinson’s Disease: Frequency Doubling Technology. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 2005. 46(13): p. 626-626.
11. IMMAD LLC.
https://www.immadroadside.com/. 2025.
12. DA, V. Cannabinoid Neuroprocessing Retina: Dysfunctions, Disruptions and Impairment. in PittCon. 2025.
13. National Institute of Justice Marijuana Intoxication: Roadside Tool for Law Enforcement to Measure Impaired Peripheral Vision. 2025.
https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/awards/15pnij-22-gg- 04417-ress.
14. Kailher, H., Koppy, T, Valenti, DA,, Intrisically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells: Indications for DRE. Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists, 2024.
15. Ortiz-Peregrina, S., et al., Effects of cannabis on visual function and self-perceived visual quality. Sci Rep, 2021. 11(1): p. 1655.
16. Hartman, R.L., et al., Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) examination characteristics of cannabis impairment. Accid Anal Prev, 2016. 92: p. 219-29.
17. Chakraborty, R., et al., The intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cell (ipRGC) mediated pupil response in young adult humans with refractive errors. J Optom, 2022. 15(2): p. 112-121.
18. Kankipati, L., C.A. Girkin, and P.D. Gamlin, Post-illumination pupil response in subjects without ocular disease. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2010. 51(5): p. 2764-9.
Figure 3: The marijuana dysfunction in post illumination pupil response is elicited with red and blue wavelength light sources. Green and white light sources do not elicit the dysfunction.
References
1. Wikipedia, Red Light, Green Light, in
https://squid-game.fandom.com/wiki/Red_Light,_ Green_Light_(game). 2020.
2. Kenney A, Denver Red Light Camaras in Denver Post 2019:
https://www.denverpost. com/2019/01/02/denver-red-light-cameras-on-hold/
3. Safety, I.I.f.H. Redlight Running. 2025.
https://www.iihs.org/topics/red-light-running.
19. Traustason, S., et al., Pupillary response to direct and consensual chromatic light stimuli. Acta Ophthalmol, 2016. 94(1): p. 65-9.
20. Liao, H.W., et al., Melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells on macaque and human retinas form two morphologically distinct populations. J Comp Neurol, 2016. 524(14): p. 2845-72.
21.Brooks-Russell, A., et al., Simulated driving performance among daily and occasional cannabis users. Accid Anal Prev, 2021. 160: p. 106326.
22. Dayi, A., et al., [Optical Coherence Tomography Findings in Cannabis Users]. Turk Psikiyatri Derg, 2020. 31(4): p. 239-243.
23. Kalenderoglu, A., et al., Increases in retinal nerve fi ber layer thickness may represent the neuroprotective effect of cannabis: an optical coherence tomography study. J Addict Dis, 2020. 38(3): p. 280-290.
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