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Cannabinoids and metabolites in expectorated oral fluid after 8 days of controlled around-the-clock oral THC administration

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Abstract

Oral fluid (OF) is an increasingly accepted matrix for drug testing programs, but questions remain about its usefulness for monitoring cannabinoids. Expectorated OF specimens (n = 360) were obtained from 10 adult daily cannabis smokers before, during, and after 37 20-mg oral Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) doses over 9 days to characterize cannabinoid disposition in this matrix. Specimens were extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with electron-impact ionization for THC, 11-hydroxy-THC, cannabidiol, and cannabinol, and negative chemical ionization for 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THCCOOH). Linear ranges for THC, 11-hydroxy-THC, and cannabidiol were 0.25–50 ng/mL; cannabinol 1–50 ng/mL; and THCCOOH 5–500 pg/mL. THCCOOH was the most prevalent analyte in 344 specimens (96.9%), with concentrations up to 1,390.3 pg/mL. 11-hydroxy-THC, cannabidiol, and cannabinol were detected in 1, 1, and 3 specimens, respectively. THC was detected in only 13.8% of specimens. The highest THC concentrations were obtained at admission (median 1.4 ng/mL, range 0.3–113.6) from previously self-administered smoked cannabis. A total of 2.5 and 3.7% of specimens were THC-positive at the recommended Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2 ng/mL) and Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines (DRUID) (1 ng/mL) confirmation cutoffs, respectively. THC is currently the only analyte for monitoring cannabis exposure in OF; however, these data indicate chronic therapeutic oral THC administration and illicit oral THC use are unlikely to be identified with current guidelines. Measurement of THCCOOH may improve the detection and interpretation of OF cannabinoid tests and minimize the possibility of OF contamination from passive inhalation of cannabis smoke.

Median Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THCCOOH) concentrations in expectorated oral fluid collected from 10 daily cannabis smokers over 9 days before, during, and after 37 20-mg oral THC doses. Arrows indicate the number of 20-mg THC doses ingested between collections

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Acknowledgements

Supported by the Intramural Research Program, NIH, National Institute on Drug and NIDA Residential Research Support Services Contract HHSN271200599091 CADB Contract No N01Da-5-9909. We thank clinical research teams from the NIDA clinical program, the Johns Hopkins Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, and the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center Treatment Research Program.

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  1. Eugene W. Schwilke

    Present address: AIT Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN, 46241, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Room 05A-721, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA

    Garry Milman, Allan J. Barnes, David M. Schwope, Eugene W. Schwilke, Robert S. Goodwin, David A. Gorelick & Marilyn A. Huestis

  2. Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Catonsville, MD, 21228, USA

    Deana L. Kelly

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  1. Garry Milman
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Correspondence to Marilyn A. Huestis.

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Milman, G., Barnes, A.J., Schwope, D.M. et al. Cannabinoids and metabolites in expectorated oral fluid after 8 days of controlled around-the-clock oral THC administration. Anal Bioanal Chem 401, 599–607 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-011-5066-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-011-5066-4

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