What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: THC, CBD.

New lab method detects cannabis metabolites with unprecedented accuracy

Q: Where was this research published?

Published in Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences on June 1, 2026.

Optimisation and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for cannabis and its metabolites in urine.

Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences • June 1, 2026 • Moderately Relevant

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AI Summary

This study developed and validated an optimized laboratory method for detecting cannabis compounds and their metabolites in urine samples. The research focused on improving how scientists extract and measure THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol)—the two main active compounds in cannabis—along with their breakdown products (THC-OH, THC-COOH, CBD-OH, and CBD-COOH). When cannabis enters the body, these compounds transform into glucuronide-conjugated forms that require special enzyme treatment to detect accurately. The study compared two modern recombinant β-glucuronidase enzymes to find the fastest and most efficient way to process urine samples.

The researchers discovered that using B-One enzyme with 200 µL of urine achieved 100% hydrolysis efficiency and 93% cannabinoid recovery, making it the optimal approach. The method could detect cannabinoids at extremely low levels (as low as 0.2 ng/mL for THC and CBD) and worked reliably across a wide concentration range up to 600 ng/mL. When tested on real urine samples, the method successfully identified varying amounts of cannabis metabolites, with some samples showing no detectable levels and others reaching 385 ng/mL for THC-COOH.

This advancement matters for drug testing programs, clinical research, and understanding how cannabis is metabolized in the human body. The single-step enzyme treatment combined with precipitation and filtration makes the process faster and more cost-effective for laboratories, improving their ability to accurately measure cannabis exposure in various populations. The high sensitivity and reliability of this method provides a robust tool for forensic, workplace, and research applications.

📄 Original Abstract

The two most abundant phytocannabinoids are Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Their major metabolites include 7-hydroxy-cannabidiol (CBD-OH), 7-carboxy-cannabidiol (CBD-COOH), 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-OH) and 11-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH). As THC and CBD metabolites are metabolised to their glucuronide conjugates, it is essential to account for these via enzyme de-conjunction during analysis of urine. The new generation of recombinant β-glucuronide enzymes have the potential to improve processing speed and hydrolysis efficiency for quantification of phytocannabinoids and their metabolites. This study aimed to optimise the de-glucuronidation and preparation of urine samples for liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of phytocannabinoids and their metabolites, and use the method to quantify cannabinoids in authentic urine samples. Two β-glucuronidase enzymes (B-One and BGTurbo) were compared for their ability to hydrolyse the glucuronide forms of CBD-OH, CBD-COOH, THC-OH and THC-COOH. Enzyme volume was varied to optimise hydrolysis efficiency. Subsequent sample treatment using protein precipitation, filtration or a combination of both were compared. Hydrolysis efficiency was calculated, and validation parameters were measured. Treating a volume of 200 μL of urine with 200 μL of B-One enzyme, followed by protein precipitation using acetonitrile and filtration with a regenerated cellulose syringe filter, was optimal in terms of 100% hydrolysis efficiency and 93% cannabinoid recovery. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.2 ng/mL for CBD and THC, 1 ng/mL for CBD-OH and THC-OH, and 0.5 ng/mL for CBD-COOH and THC-COOH. Calibration curves extending to 100 ng/mL were linear with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.998; as the method involved a 6-fold dilution, this method can be applied to measurement of up to 600 ng/mL without additional dilution. Three authentic urine samples ranged in concentration of THC and CBD metabolites, from non-detectable up to a maximum of 385 ng/mL for THC-COOH. Single-step hydrolysis using B-One enzyme and combined precipitation with filtration for clean sample preparation allows for rapid cleavage of cannabinoid glucuronides with high recovery.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences
Published: June 1, 2026
PMID: 41985223
DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2026.125051

Authors (7)

Min-Tz Weng School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Qiuda Zheng Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: q.zheng@uq.edu.au.
Angela Ratsch Wide Bay Hospital and Health Services, Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia; Rural Clinical School, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Zeyang Zhao Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Jared A Miles School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
+2 more authors

MeSH Keywords

Tandem Mass Spectrometry Humans Chromatography, Liquid Reproducibility of Results Linear Models Cannabinoids Limit of Detection Cannabis Glucuronidase Dronabinol +2 more