Citation

Xiong-Hang K, Love SA. Clin. Chem. 2022; 68(7): e994.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

DOI

10.1093/clinchem/hvac034

PMID

35780508

Abstract

Cannabis is the most used illicit drug in the United States (1). Evidence suggests that use of cannabis can significantly impair brain functions and tasks essential for motor vehicle operation including judgment, motor coordination, and reaction time. The primary psychoactive ingredient of cannabis is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC and its metabolites are identified in a variety of matrices, including blood and oral fluid, with definitive testing by mass spectrometry as the gold standard. A commonly cited limitation of mass spectrometry-based testing is the prolonged turnaround time, which limits the ability of testing to support real-time decision-making. The ideal testing solution would be analytically sensitive and specific methods amenable to point-of-care settings, and development of novel approaches continues. A recent article in Science Translational Medicine (2) describes pilot development of a point-of-care system for THC detection in oral fluid.

The EPOCH (express probe for on-site cannabis...

Language: en

Keywords

toxicology; evaluation of new products; instruments; point of care testing systems