Chapter 103 - Cannabinoids in Oral Fluid: Identification and Interpretation of Analytical Results

Abstract

Over the last few years, improvements in technology associated with oral fluid collection, drug extraction, and analytical instrumentation have allowed oral fluid to emerge as a useful sample matrix for the analysis of cannabinoids. The detection of marijuana and its metabolites in oral fluid is useful in many applications, including traffic safety, workplace drug testing, pain management, rehabilitation programs, forensic psychiatric monitoring, and sports testing. Important issues in the valid quantification of drugs in oral fluid include the variability of collection devices, efficient recovery from collection pads, drug stability during transportation, and storage conditions. This chapter will discuss the disposition of cannabinoids in oral fluid, potential approaches to result interpretation, and will highlight areas of application.