The detection of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCA) in whole blood using two-dimensional gas chromatography and EI-mass spectrometry.
A method is described for the simultaneous analysis of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its carboxylic acid metabolite, 11-nor-9-carboxy-Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCA) as their trimethylsiyl derivatives using 2-dimensional chromatography and electron ionization-mass spectrometric detection. The addition of a Deans switch to a standard GC oven allows the use of two chromatographic columns of differing stationary phase to greatly reduce matrix interference. The analytes are extracted from 1 mL of whole blood by first precipitating the blood proteins with the addition of acetonitrile followed by solid-phase extraction. The limit of quantitation for both THC and THCA was determined to be 1.0 ng/mL. The between-run precision at 1.0 ng/mL (N = 30) was 7.7% and 7.4% for THC and THCA, respectively. The method is linear from 1 to 100 ng/mL.
Scurlock
Rodger D
RD
AZ DPS Central Regional Crime Lab, Toxicology Unit, 2102 W. Encanto Blvd., Phoenix, Arizona 85005, USA. rscurlock@azpds.gov
Ohlson
Greg B
GB
Worthen
David K
DK
D013759:Dronabinol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood*; D005410:Flame Ionization; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; C016780:11-nor-delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid; D013759:Dronabinol