The Detection of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol, Delta-10-tetrahydrocannabinol, and Cannabidiol in Hair Specimens

Abstract

Cannabinoid use and misuse has been rising since 2011, and the development of new cannabinoid derivatives, partially due to the passage of the Farm Bill in 2018, and more relaxed legislation, has complicated testing for this drug class. The impact on child welfare in homes with cannabis substance use remains a concern, so detection of environmental exposure to cannabinoids is hugely beneficial. This article reports a validated confirmation method which detects delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), delta-10-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ10-THC), and cannabidiol (CBD) in environmentally exposed hair specimens via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) following a supported liquid extraction. From February 2024 to October 2024, 30.5% (n = 1787) of specimens tested positive for at least one analyte. The most common analyte was Δ9-THC (26.8%, n = 1574), followed by Δ8-THC (9.0%, n = 528), CBD (6.1%, n = 359) and Δ10-THC (0.4%, n = 24). While most of the specimens contained multiple analytes, it was found that 21.4% of the positive specimens had a single analyte exposure: 1062 specimens only confirmed for Δ9-THC, 165 specimens only confirmed for Δ8-THC, and 28 specimens only confirmed CBD. The addition of Δ8-THC, Δ10-THC, and CBD to the cannabinoids assay improved the detection of cannabinoids related cases, increasing our total positivity rate by an additional 3.6% (n = 213). The detection of all these analytes is crucial for reliable and accurate detection of cannabinoid environmental exposure.

Conclusion: This study has presented a fully validated method using hair specimens for the detection of Δ9-THC, Δ8-THC, Δ10-THC, and CBD to identify individuals exposed to cannabis contaminated environments. Due to the negative impact of child welfare in cannabis substance use homes, it is crucial to provide evidence-based testing for these cases. The detection of Δ9-THC alone is not sufficient for environmental exposure identification; other cannabinoids are imperative to produce the most accurate and reliable results.

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