Tetrahydrocannabinol forensics

Pharmacological and metabolic studies on cannabinoids (Fig. 1) have suffered from a lack of knowledge of their physico-chemical properties and the insensitivity of assays of A -tetrahydrocannabinol 1, and its metabolites in biological fluids. Unambiguous, sensitive, specific and accurate quantification is required for forensic toxicology and pharmacokinetic studies which can be correlated with the time course of the psychoactive effects (2). 

These authors reported high efficiency separations of heroin, heroin impurities, degradation products, and adulterants (Fig. 8.1). Also discriminated were acidic and neutral impurities present in heroin seized by law enforcement agencies, as well as in illicit cocaine samples, with resolution of benzoylecgon-ine, cocaine, cis- and frans-cinnamoylcocaine. MEKC was also used with a broad spectrum of other compounds of forensic interest, including psilocybin, morphine, phenobarbital, psilocin, codeine, methaqualone, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), amphetamine, chlordiazepoxide, methamphetamine, lora-zepam, diazepam, fentanyl, phencyclidine hydrochloride (PCP), cannabidiol, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which were all separated with baseline resolution. 

A forensic scientist analyzes a drug and finds that it contains 80.22% carbon and 9.62% hydrogen. Could the drug be pure tetrahydrocannabinol (C21H30O2) ... 

Stanaszek, R., Zuba, D. A comparison of developed and validated chromatographic methods (FIPLC, GC MS) for determination of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (5 -TFIC) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (5 -TFICA-A) in hemp. Probl. Forensic Sci. 71, 313-322 (2007)... 

MoeUer MR, Doerr G, Warth S (1992) Simultaneous quantitation of delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC) and ll-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) in serum by GC/MS using deuterated internal standards and its application to a smoking study and forensic cases. J Forensic Sci 37 969-983... 

Of all the samples analyzed in 2008 by US local and state forensic labs for the presence of norunedically used drags, 25 controlled substances (Table 1.2) composed 90% of all samples. The most frequent fow were tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cocaine (berrzoylmethylecgonine), methamphetamine, and heroin. Of these 25, only 15 have been targeted in environmental studies of illicit drags amphetamine, cocaine, codeine, heroin, hydrocodone, MDA, MDMA, methadone, methamphetamine, methylphenidate, morphine, oxycodone, PCP (phencychdine), pseudoephedrine, and THC (A -tetrahydrocannabinol). 

Weinmann W, Goerner M, Vogt S, Goerke R, Poliak S (2001) Fast confirmation of ll-nor-9-carboxy-Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) in urine by LC/MS/MS using negative atmospheric-pressure chemical ionisation (APCI). Forensic Sci Int 121(1-2) 103-107... 

Teixeira H, Proenga P, Verstraete A, Corte-Real F, Vieira DN. Analysis of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in oral fluid samples using solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography—electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Forensic Sci Int 2005 150(2-3) 205-ll. 

Cannabis is often detected in the blood of drivers and is considered the major cause of road crashes after alcohol. It is often implicated in forensic cases and workplace accidents. A -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the major psychoactive constituent of Cannabis sativa, whose main metabolites formed in blood are 1 l-nor-9-carboxy-A -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) and ll-hydroxy-A -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-OH). Marijuana (also ganja, grass, herb, Mary Jane, pot, green, trees, smoke, sinsemilla, and weed) and hashish (or boom, gangster, hash, hemp) are made up of dried parts of the Cannabis sativa hemp plant they give euphoria and relaxation but also slowed reaction times, impaired coordination, anxiety, panic attack, and psychosis and cause respiratory infections, mental health decline, and addiction. 

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