Researchers behind a federally-funded study have developed new methods to improve the selectivity of an existing forensic test method. This will allow better detection of delta-9THC and its metabolites.
Researchers at the Virginia Department of Forensic Science have produced a 107-page document as a result of a $290,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice. This division of the Department of Justice awarded the grant in 2020. According to the award description, this funding was intended to “develop and validate an automated sample preparation method for the quantitative assessment of an expanded panel of cannabinoids (CBD-CBN-THC, THC, THCA, CBD) within biological matrixes.”
The award is part of nearly $1.2million in federal funding to support a program that aims “to identify the most efficient and accurate methods of identifying, analyzing, and interpreting physical evidence as it relates to criminal justice.”
The federal agency stated in the award . that “the ever-changing environment of cannabis decriminalization or legalization has significant impact on forensic laboratories, and it is anticipated that the caseload will increase in forensic toxicology.” “In addition, products claiming to contain other cannabinoids, including cannabidiol [CBD] and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid [THC-A], have become widely available.”
According to the grant description, “the project will allow DFS and other forensic toxicity laboratories to adapt to an evolving cannabis industry by increasing cannabinoid test capabilities.”
Rebecca Wagner, who is the lead author and supervisor of Virginia DFS’s chemistry research section, explained to Marijuana Moment the purpose of the study in an email.
“The focus of the project was to develop and validate a method capable of separating and uniquely identifying D9-tetrahydrocannbinol (active component in marijuana) from other tetrahydrocannabinol isomers in antemortem blood and postmortem blood specimens,” Wagner wrote. “The method includes the confirmation and quantitation of D9-tetrahydrocannbinol and its metabolites.”
Last year, the Virginia agency received a separate grant of over $441,000 for developing better tools to analyze psychedelics within biological samples.
Separately, the federal government funded a separate research that was published recently. This study identified a promising method for testing recent cannabis use. The National Institute on Drug Abuse funded the study. It determined that a more accurate way to test than the current method is to analyze the molar ratio of THC and THC-COOH. These findings could have important criminal justice implications as police rely now on basic and often unreliable tests of blood for evidence of impairment.
The DFS Research published last month explains technical details about a method developed to “identify cannabinoids using a supported liquid extract with dual column LCMSMS (liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry) analysis”.
The study states that “the methodology used LCMSMS, with two columns of different stationary phase to enhance confirmation of cannabinoids.” Two methods (quantitative as well as qualitative) were validated according to ANSI/ASB036) 036, Standard practices for method validation in forensic toxicology.
The study concluded that the results were limited. The authors note that delta-8 THC, for example, “should only be used qualitatively” and not to measure the actual cannabinoid level. It is the same for “evaluation for cannabinoids and CBD in urine”.
This research is part of an increasing call for more accurate and reliable methods to measure recent marijuana usage and impairment, often around driving. As more jurisdictions legalize this drug. A congressional report last summer for a Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies bill stated that the House Appropriations Committee, ” , continues to support development of an objective measure to measure marijuana impairment and related field sobriety tests to ensure highway safety.”
The Department of Transportation was required to complete the report by November a data-google-interstitial=”false” href=”https://www.marijuanamoment.net/biden-signs-infrastructure-bill-promoting-marijuana-research-by-encouraging-access-to-dispensary-products/” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank/a> under a The Department of Transportation was supposed to finish the report by November , under a large infrastructure bill signed by President Joe Biden. However, missed this deadline and it is unclear how long it will take.
According to a study published in 2019, those who drive with the legal THC limit, which is usually between two and five nanograms per milliliter blood , are not statistically more at risk of being involved in an accident than people who don’t use marijuana.
The Congressional Research Service determined in 2019 that “marijuana use can impact a person’s motor performance and response time… Studies of the impact on a driver’s risk of being in a car accident have produced contradictory results with some studies finding no or little increased risk from marijuana usage.”
A study conducted in 2022 concluded that CBD-rich marijuana did not have a “significant impact” on the ability to drive despite the fact all participants had THC levels above the limit per se.
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The first time Marijuana Moment published the post Federally Funded Study Improves Marijuana screening procedure To Detect THC in Blood.
