UHPLC-MS-MS Determination of THC, CBD, and their Metabolites in Whole Blood of Light Cannabis Smokers.

Abstract

"Light cannabis" is a product legally sold in Europe with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration lower than 0.2% and variable cannabidiol (CBD) content. In this study, we aimed to assess the time-courses of THC and metabolites (11-nor-9-carboxy-THC and 11-hydroxy-THC) and CBD and metabolites (CBD-7-oic acid, 7-hydroxy-CBD, 6α-hydroxy-CBD, and 6β-hydroxy-CBD) in whole blood of 10 healthy participants after smoking one or four light cannabis cigarettes (0.16% THC and 5.8% CBD). Blood samples were collected 0.5 to 4 h after administration. Blood analysis was performed by reversed-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS-MS) in multiple reaction monitoring mode, after glucuronide hydrolysis and liquid-liquid extraction in basic and acidic conditions. The method was validated following the most recent guidelines in toxicology: the method was linear, accurate, precise, and sensitive (lower limits of quantification ranged from 0.005 to 0.01 ng/mL); carryover, matrix effect, recovery, process efficiency, and dilution integrity were also assessed. As previously reported, the main metabolites of THC were THC-COOH, then 11-OH-THC, and the main metabolites of CBD were 7-OH-CBD, then 7-COOH-CBD. The time of first collection, which likely occurred after the maximal concentration of most of the analytes, and the short monitoring time, up to 4 h after smoking, limited the evaluation of the pharmacokinetic parameters.