INCIDENCE OF PSYCHOACTIVE CANNABINOIDS IN DRIVERS KILLED IN MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

• NCJ Number: 142992
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 38 Issue: 3 Dated: (May 1993) Pages: 649-656
• Author(s): J Gerostamoulos; O H Drummer
• Date Published: 1993
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay was developed for the psychoactive cannabinoids Delta-9- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 11-Hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC) using electrochemical detection (ECD).

Abstract

A C8 bonded column was used and the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile, methanol, and 0.01 M sulfuric acid at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. The detection limits for both TCH and 11-OH-THC were 1.0 ng/mL. Preliminary screening of 193 drivers using an enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) showed 21 tested positive on either urine, blood, or both. Of those, 13 were confirmed as positive by the HPLC/ECD method in blood. Blood concentrations for THC ranged from 1.4 ng/mL up to 20 ng/mL and for 11-OH-THC 2.5 ng/mL up to 85 ng/mL. 2 tables, 2 figures, and 24 references