Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol content in cannabis samples seized in Novi Sad during 2008

Abstract

The three main cannabinoids Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) were identified and determined quantitatively using a GCD (GC-EI) instrument in 280 samples of illicit herbal cannabis, seized by the Police authorities in Novi Sad, during 2008. The samples were sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Clinical Center Vojvodina, for forensic chemical analysis. The cannabinoid content of the samples enabled the classification of the cannabis into three chemical phenotypes and the differentiation into drug and textile-cannabis, using the Waller classification index. This differentiation has great forensic significance in the classification of certain cases as a criminal action. The experimental results showed that the Δ9-THC content in illicitly circulated cannabis slightly decreased from January to December 2008, as did the quality of the drug-cannabis. The reasons for the quality variations could lie in the geographical origin of the cannabis plants, the conditions of plants storage, various parts of the plants in samples and the time elapsed between harvesting and chemical analysis.

Keywords

• cannabinoids
• forensic samples
• GCD analysis
• phenotype
• Waller index