Quantification of delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol in tissues and body fluids

The search for the psychoactive constituents of the plant Cannabis sativa L has revealed over 420 compounds to date. The synthesis of delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol finally established the main active component of cannabis. THC is a potent drug, and plasma levels (except initially) are of the order of a few nanograms per milliliter. During the last few years, various methods based on mass spectrometry, RIA etc. have made it possible to quantitate non labelled THC and metabolites in plasma. These plasma level determinations of THC may be important for correct clinical diagnosis of cannabis intoxication, and for drug interaction studies. The various analytical techniques for cannabinoids are discussed, and updated in this paper.