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A colorimetric method for the estimation of the total content of cannabinoids in cannabis samples is proposed. The assay is based on the reaction of these compounds with the reagent Fast Blue B (FBB), which has been immobilized into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The reaction and detection conditions have been established according to the results obtained for the individual cannabinoids Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN), as well as for ethanolic extracts obtained from cannabis samples after ultrasonication. In contact with the extract and under basic conditions, the reagent diffuses from the PDMS device, producing a red-brown solution. The absorbances measured at 500 nm after only 1 min of exposure to the FBB/PDMS composites led to responses proportional to the amounts of the cannabinoids in the reaction media. Those absorbances have been then transformed in total cannabinoid content using CBD as a reference compound. The potential utility of the proposed conditions has been tested by analyzing different cannabis samples. The selectivity towards other plants and drugs has been also evaluated. The present method is proposed as a simple and rapid alternative to chromatographic methods for the estimation of the total content of cannabinoids.

Cannabis is recorded to be the most used drug in the world. This causes a lot of difficulties for developing countries to curb the illegal cultivation, sale, and use of cannabis. The main psychoactive component of the cannabis plant is D9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The introduction of mobile forensic labs has greatly increased the testing efficiency of psychotropic substances, but the traditional methods of analysis might seem to be cumbersome for the individual experimenting with the scene of seizure. The incorporation of portable analytical devices in forensic field analysis is the approach in the right direction for the testing of drugs. In this paper, we introduce a paper‐based microfluidic device for the onsite detection of marijuana. The device comprises the fast blue B reagent (FBB) as the main reagent. The µPAD was used for the successful detection of seized marijuana. The µPAD‐based detection was combined with a UV‐Vis spectroscopic confirmation. The computational modeling of the absorbance spectra gave further insights into the product formation during the reaction of THC and FBB. This novel method helps in a faster analysis of marijuana, at a considerably lower cost; which is a great boost to the forensic community and the law enforcement authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A colorimetric method for the estimation of the total content of cannabinoids in cannabis samples is proposed. The assay is based on the reaction of these compounds with the reagent Fast Blue B (FBB), which has been immobilized into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The reaction and detection conditions have been established according to the results obtained for the individual cannabinoids Δ9-tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN), as well as for ethanolic extracts obtained from cannabis samples after ultrasonication. In contact with the extract and under basic conditions, the reagent diffuses from the PDMS device, producing a red-brown solution. The absorbances measured at 500 nm after only 1 min of exposure to the FBB/PDMS composites led to responses proportional to the amounts of the cannabinoids in the reaction media. Those absorbances have been then transformed in total cannabinoid content using CBD as a reference compound. The potential utility of the proposed conditions has been tested by analyzing different cannabis samples. The selectivity towards other plants and drugs has been also evaluated. The present method is proposed as a simple and rapid alternative to chromatographic methods for the estimation of the total content of cannabinoids.