Agilent Technologies GC/MS compendium to test for synthetic cannabinoids

Agilent Technologies has released a GC/MS compendium to test for synthetic cannabinoids which have recently been declared controlled substances by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The DEA currently controls six versions of synthetic cannabinoids: JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47-497 (C7), CP-47-497 (C8) and HU-210. There are more than 20 uncontrolled forms and this number is expected to grow.

Synthetic cannabinoids present a number of analytical challenges, not least because formulations are rapidly evolving. When one is banned, it can quickly be replaced by a new one. They’re often sold in botanical matrixes as ‘herbal incense’ and other products, which presents additional challenges. The purpose of this compendium is to help laboratories ‘get a handle’ on this dynamic situation.

The compendium, available from Agilent at no cost to qualified forensics laboratories, contains detailed procedures for sample preparation and GC/MS method, plus a searchable mass-spectral library to test for 35 synthetic cannabinoids and their derivatives. The method and library were developed in collaboration with the Criminalistics Division of NMS Labs, an independent forensic laboratory certified by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology and the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors.

To order a free copy on CD, visit www.agilent.com/chem/cannabinoidcd.