Cannabis sativa L. is the most used recreational drug worldwide. Herbal Cannabis consists of a variable a complex matrix, which makes it challenging to properly seize and prepare the sample for qualitative and quantitative analysis.
In an article recently published by the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC) in WIREs Forensic Science, detailed information on the procedure prior to analysis is presented, covering chromatographic and spectroscopic methods developed for the analysis of cannabinoids in seizures for different forensic purposes. Advantages and drawbacks of existing methods, within a specific forensic context, are discussed. The application of chemometrics, which offers a powerful tool in interpreting complex data, is also explained.
Full article can be found here.