Target Analysis of Synthetic Cannabinoids in Blood and Urine

The synthetic cannabinoid subclass of NPS remains one of the largest and the most complex in terms of chemistry and behavior. Several considerations must be understood prior to development of target analysis for this drug class. Unlike other NPS subclasses, synthetic cannabinoids and their metabolites are neutral to acidic analytes. To compound this distinction, these analytes behave differently in blood and urine samples, requiring additional attention prior to development and implementation. As a result, synthetic cannabinoids require special extraction and analytical methods for their characterization. This chapter describes all aspects associated with target analysis of synthetic cannabinoids, including sample preparation methods and instrumental platforms. Types of target analysis discussed include liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) [the most commonly employed], gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), immunoassay, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS).