The determination of 11-nor-δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THCCOOH) in meconium

Abstract

The determination of 11-nor-δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THCCOOH), the major urinary metabolite of δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in meconium is extremely difficult because of the high concentration of lipids in the specimen and the low concentration of drug present. A simple, robust, analytical procedure for the screening and confirmation of THCCOOH in meconium is presented. To our knowledge, the procedure is the first published method for the successful confirmation of THCCOOH in meconium and is used routinely in our laboratory for the purpose of detecting marijuana use during pregnancy.