Analysis of THC Metabolites in Urine by GC-MS/MS

User Benefits

- MRM in GC-MS/MS uses two-stage mass filtering which allows for the detection of THC and its metabolites without interference from impurities in urine. - Using MRM creates a method sensitive enough to detect THC and its metabolites in urine at 1 ng/mL that can be used to quantify trace levels of cannabis metabolites in urine.

Introduction

Cannabis is a long-abused drug with pharmacological effects that include hallucinations, pain relief, and sedation. While the main psychoactive component of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), is subject to restrictions in many countries worldwide, another active component called cannabidiol (CBD) is not regulated in many countries. Cannabidiol has no major side effects and is starting to be used as a seizure medication, in cosmetics, and in foods. Restrictions on cannabis are undergoing continuous reforms with some countries tightening restrictions and others relaxing them. Japan has recently revised its laws to tighten regulations on cannabis use and a portion of these laws went into effect in December 2024. Δ9-THC in cannabis is metabolized in the body and principally excreted in urine and feces as the metabolites Δ9-OH-THC, Δ9‐THC-COOH, and their glucuronide conjugates. Based on this, urine must be analyzed for these metabolites to prove cannabis use. This Application News investigated four methods of sample pretreatment that could be used to measure THC and its metabolites in urine and presents results obtained using the sample pretreatment method selected by this investigation in a quantitative analysis by GC-MS/MS.

February 25, 2025 GMT