Forensic Book Recommendation

[Schmitty]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a book to work from in a food lab? I have a client request to analyze a sample for THC in a food product, and would probably resort to a sativa method (L/L extraction, dry down, TMS, GC/MS?).

What is the opinion on these works:

The Analysis of Controlled Substances, Cole (Wiley, 2003)

and

Handbook of Forensic Drug Analysis, Smith (Academic Press, 2004).

Thanks!

[ods-at-pacific]

I think I would try to do this analysis using DART on a JEOL AccuTOF.

[Schmitty]

Sorry, but I don't think my supervisor nor manager will let me spend 500k on a new instrument when we have five 5972/3s sitting around.

Good try, though.

[Victor]

The book by Cole is an elementary text aimed at students taking a degree course in Forensic Science. I would not recommend it for the purpose that you require.

[ckeller]

I'm not sure if you question has been answered. I just found this forum. I work for a forensic lab doing controlled substance analysis. Email me with a phone number. If you are in US, I can call you and we can talk about the analysis. Or I can send you my phone number and you can call me

If you just need a screening test to tell you yes or not to the prescence of THC, you can do a Duquenois-Levine color test which is very simple to do.

Christy K.
ckeller@sbcsd.org

[Schmitty]

Christy,

Thank you for the offer, and yes I am in the US. The client request for the THC determination hasn't really been pressed any further, so I think it is dead for now.

From what I found, I think that I would do a hexane extraction, followed by a dry down and derivatization.

Thanks,
John

[ckeller]

The problem you may have - do you have THC standard to run on the GC/MS so you could get retention time?

Let me know if you need any help in the future.

Christy

[Schmitty]

I would probably just buy the delta-9 methanolic solution from Aldrich.

What type of sample work-up do you have for "dry" THC suspect samples? I did an internship at the WI State Crime Lab many years ago. I was working on paint ID and arson accelerants for most of the time so I didn't get to do too much with the drug side of the lab.