Simultaneous identification and quantification of synthetic cannabinoids (cannabimimetics) in serum, hair, and urine by rapid and sensitive HPLC tandem mass spectrometry screenings: overview and experience from routine testing

Abstract

Abstract Detection and quantification of synthetic cannabinoids (synonym: cannabimimetics) used as a substitute for natural cannabis has been a real toxicological and forensic issue since 2008. On the basis of a short overview of the pharmacological principle, chemical classification, and legal situation in Germany, the development of several analytical and screening approaches is presented. The paper further describes and validates a novel method for the simultaneous identification and quantification of JWH-018, JWH-019, JWH-073, JWH-081, JWH-122, JWH-200, JWH-210, JWH-250, WIN48,098, WIN55,212-2, AM-694 and CP47,497 by means of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in human serum and hair using JWH-018-d11 and THC-d3 as internal standards. Detection limits ranging from 0.018 to 0.192 ng/mL for serum and from 0.140 to 0.820 pg/mg for hair, as well as very short retention times (up to 2.4 min), qualify this method, which presently includes 11 further compounds on a semi-quantitative basis, for rapid screening. The same method, using the deuterated 3-hydroxybutyl derivative of JWH-073, was applied for detection of 14 urinary metabolites after enzymatic hydrolysis of conjugates. Observation from routine analysis of 359 serum and 84 hair specimens reveals that concentrations of cannabimimetics in positive samples may differ by factors of at least 400 and 3000 with median values of 0.5 ng/mL and 9 pg/mg for serum and hair, respectively. Conclusions regarding consumption behaviors and strategies to decipher metabolic routes of these substances and possible implications are also discussed.