Disposition and enterohepatic circulation of intravenously administered 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in serum and urine in healthy human subjects

Disposition and Enterohepatic Circulation of Intravenously Administered 11-Nor-9-Carboxy-Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Serum and Urine in Healthy Human Subjects

Verification of abstinence from Cannabis use is the second most frequently encountered analytical task beside alcohol misuse in driving cases, conditions of probation and patients during maintenance treatment. In both blood and urine, detection of 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC-COOH) is most appropriate considering its long half-life. In addition, THC-COOH has been hypothesized to be a marker of the extent of Cannabis use. Nevertheless, there is only limited knowledge on the direct disposition of THC-COOH in humans which is formed from Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) by oxidative breakdown.