Characterization of Cannabinomimetic Compounds in Synthetic Cannabis Products by Gas Chromatography--High Resolution Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (GC-HRT)

摘要

The Pegasus GC-HRT proved to be a valuable tool for the detection and identification of a synthetic cannabinoid in an herbal spice sample. The accurate mass data provided the ability to successfully identify an unknown compound that was not present in the commercially available mass spectral search databases. The synthetic cannabis industry is growing rapidly, apparent by the sheer number of websites selling herbal spice samples. Legislation is being passed in many states to outlaw the distribution of these products. The problem is that there are literally hundreds of possible synthetic cannabinoid compounds, most of which are not present in the commercial mass spectral libraries. The use of a high resolution mass spectrometer capable of delivering the mass accuracy needed to facilitate unknown identification will be paramount to the ability of crime labs to effectively characterize these new and emerging compounds.