{"id":17353,"date":"2022-08-31T12:00:07","date_gmt":"2022-08-31T12:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clinlabint.com\/?p=17353"},"modified":"2022-08-31T12:00:07","modified_gmt":"2022-08-31T12:00:07","slug":"existing-drug-tests-can-detect-delta-8-thc-the-latest-cannabis-craze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clinlabint.com\/existing-drug-tests-can-detect-delta-8-thc-the-latest-cannabis-craze\/","title":{"rendered":"Existing drug tests can detect delta-8-THC \u2013 the latest cannabis craze"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Existing drug tests can detect delta-8-THC \u2013 the latest cannabis craze<\/h1>\/ in Featured Articles<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/header>\n<\/div><\/section>
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As the cannabis derivative delta-8-THC grows in popularity, it\u2019s important for drug tests to be able to detect and differentiate it from delta-9-THC \u2013 the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. Breaking research showcased at the 2022 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo demonstrates that common drug testing methods can do just that.<\/h3>\n

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Over the last few years, use of delta-8 has been rising in popularity in the U.S. for two reasons. The first is that it\u2019s known for giving users a milder high than regular marijuana, and the second is that delta-8 is unregulated at the federal level, which means that it\u2019s legal in most states where cannabis use is still banned. However, because delta-8 products are unregulated, many contain toxic manufacturing by-products that make it more dangerous than delta-9-THC. In light of this, testing for delta-8 is needed to discourage people from taking these contaminated products as a way to circumvent drug tests. Testing is also needed to monitor the spread of delta-8 and to inform public health efforts to craft better regulations for it.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, a team of researchers led by Uttam Garg, PhD, of Children\u2019s Mercy, Kansas City and the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, conducted research to see if tests that detect delta-9-THC can also detect delta-8. To do this, Garg\u2019s team spiked negative urine samples with various concentrations of delta-8 (10-50 ng\/mL) and analyzed these samples with a standard approach for detecting cannabis use. First, they screened the samples with a commercial cannabinoid immunoassay, then they followed this with confirmatory testing using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).<\/p>\n

Garg\u2019s team found that the cannabinoid immunoassay yielded positive results for all samples with delta-8 concentrations of 30 ng\/mL and higher. The GC-MS method also identified delta-8. The latter is especially significant because delta-8 and delta-9-THC are very similar at a molecular level, but the GC-MS method was able to distinguish between them due to a difference in retention time. The researchers confirmed these findings in a patient sample containing delta-8.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith our methods, we can detect both delta-8 and delta-9 isomers and distinguish delta-9 from delta-8,\u201d Garg said. \u201cIf someone is using delta-8-THC, the immunoassay we are using and likely other immunoassays which are out on the market will detect it. Once an immunoassay positive sample has been identified, then you need a chromatographic method to separate delta-8 and delta-9 because they are very similar structurally. That\u2019s what we did in our lab \u2013 we used immunoassay for initial screening and GC-MS to separate and distinguish the two compounds.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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