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Herbal Remedies                                                                                                                                        109



                                                                         the Health and Human Services Secretary demanding an end to the
                                                                       More recently, thirty members of the US Congress sent a letter to









                                          Scott Kuzdzal, Ph.D., Bob Clifford, Ph.D., Paul Winkler and Will Bankert (Shimadzu Scientific Instruments)


                                                                             be performed by US researchers. federal monopoly on marijuana research so that more studies can  Mainstream acceptance of cannabis has increased steadily over the  past decade in the United States. Twenty-two states and the  District of Columbia have legalized or decriminalized marijuana in  some form. Colorado and Washington have legalized marijuana  for recreational use, with Oregon soon to follow suit. Maryland  has approved bills making medical marijuana accessible to patients  and decriminalizing possession of limited amounts of the drug. As  the medical and recreational uses of cannabinoids increases both  in the United States and globally, the need for imp












                                 A Closer Look at Cannabis Testing
                                                                                                         Psychedelic Studies released a report titled “The DEA: Four Decades
                                                                       Introduction – Current US Cannabis Research, Policy & Law
                                                                                                           of Impeding and Rejecting Science.” Citing case studies from 1972
                                                                                                             to the present, this report claims that the DEA suppressed research
                                                                                             stated in 2011 that marijuana has “no accepted medical use” and
                                                                                   symptoms (Table 1). However, patients with cancer or severe pain,
                                                                                                 Strict scheduling and law enforcement actions have made it more
                                                                                                     studies than LSD, MDMA, heroin and cocaine. In June, 2014, the
                                                                                           psychoactive properties. The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
                                                                                                   difficult for researchers to obtain marijuana samples for scientific
                                                                                         prohibited the use, sales and distribution of marijuana due to its
                                                                           Cannabis has demonstrated health benefits since ancient times.
                                                                               medical properties, publications to date indicate that cannabis
                                                                             While less than 6% of today’s studies on marijuana analyze its
                                                                                       mid-20th century when federal regulations were enacted that
                                                                                     for example, have been blocked from these benefits since the
                                                                                 shows great promise for the treatment of many diseases and
                                                                                                       Drug Policy Alliance and the Multidisciplinary Association for
                                                                                                                        Appears to have powerful anti-tumor properties
                                                                                                               on the positive benefits of marijuana for medicinal use.
                                                                                                                            Reduces pain associated with chemotherapy Treats glaucoma by lowering intraocular pressure Decreases symptoms of epileptic seizures Reduces brain damage after a stroke Relieves discomfort from arthritis Lessens side effects from hepatitis C treatments Treats inflammatory bowel disease Slows the progression of Alzheimer’s and other  neurodegenerative diseases  the end of this article).
                                                                                               should therefore remain illegal under federal law.






















                                                                                                   limit of quantification was set at 500 µg/L. The concentrations
                                                                                                      obtained with a reference (GC-MS) method in positive patient
                                                                                          quantification and less than 15% at the other concentrations.
                                                                                                 quantification was 5 µg/L for all compounds, while the upper
                                                                                                                              • Separation of two couples of isomers with a run duration less
                                                                                                                    after patient urine samples with analytes concentrations over
                                                                                                                 the present method, even when blank samples were injected
                                                                                               significant matrix effect was observed and the lower limit of
                                                                                                               Solid-Phase-Extraction, no carry-over effect was noted using
                                                                                   Among the 40 analyzed compounds, 38 filled the validation
                                                                                                        samples were compared with those obtained with this new
                                                                                     conditions in term of intra- and inter-assay precision and
                                                                                                          UHPLC-MS/MS method and showed satisfactory results.
                                                                                             Despite the quick and simple sample preparation, no
                                                                                                             Contrary to what was already observed with on-line
                                                                                        accuracy were less than 20% at the lower limit of
                                                                           Fig. 3  Chromatogram obtained after an injection of a 5 µL whole blood extract spiked at 200 µg/L
                                                                                                                                than 6 minutes and using a 5 cm column, • Quick sample preparation based on QuEChERS salts  extraction/partitioning, almost as short as on-line Solid Phase  • Lower limit of quantification compatible with determination of



                                                                                Validation data                       2000 µg/L.  4. Conclusions  Extraction,  DUID, • No carry over effect noticed.







                                                                                        allowed the extraction/partitioning of compounds of interest from
                                                                                          matrix. This extraction/partitioning process is not only obtained
                                                                                              occurred and allowed phase separation, but also with urine as
                                                                                     412-31, the combination of acetonitrile and QuEChERS salts
                                                                                            with whole blood and plasma-serum where deproteinization
                                                                                   As described by Anastassiades et al. J. AOAC Int 86 (2003)






                                                                                                      B                   extraction/partitioning: A: acetonitrile with urine  sample lead to one phase / B: acetonitrile, QuEChERS


           global w430×h280                                                     Extraction conditions  presented in Fig. 4.  Fig. 4  influence of QuEChERS salts on urine   salts and urine lead to 2 phases.








                   Forensics                                                                          A                                                                   108
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