The minor cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG) is a highly specific blood biomarker of recent cannabis smoking.
Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2023 Mar 20 [Online ahead of print]CT

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The determination of recent cannabis use is of forensic interest in the investigation of automotive crashes, workplace incidents and other mishaps. Because Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol may persist in blood after psychoactive effects of intoxication resolve, particularly in regular users, short-lived minor cannabinoids such as cannabigerol have merited examination as adjunct indicators of recent cannabis inhalation.

METHODS

As part of an observational cohort study, whole blood cannabinoids including cannabigerol were measured in whole blood by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry at baseline, and 30 minutes after initiation of a 15-minute supervised interval of ad libitum cannabis smoking in occasional (1-2 days/week over the past 30 days) (n = 24) and daily cannabis smokers (n = 32). Per protocol, subjects self-reported abstention from inhaling cannabis (>8 h) or ingesting cannabis (>12 h) prior to baseline measurement.

RESULTS

At baseline, none of the occasional users had detectable cannabigerol (limit of detection = 0.2 µg/L), whereas cannabigerol was detectable post-smoking in 7 of 24 (29%). Among daily cannabis users, 2 of 32 (6%) had detectable cannabigerol at baseline, increasing to 21 of 32 (66%) post-smoking. The odds ratio for recent cannabis smoking associated with a detectable cannabigerol was 27 (95% confidence interval: 6.6, 110.3). In this mixed cohort of occasional and daily cannabis users, receiver operator characteristic curve analysis indicated that whole blood cannabigerol concentration of ≥ 0.2 µg/L had 96% specificity, 50% sensitivity, and 73% accuracy for identifying a 15-minute interval of ad libitum cannabis smoking initiated 30 minutes earlier. Post smoking blood Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (median = 5.6 µg/L in occasional users, 21.3 µg/L in daily users) was significantly correlated with post-smoking cannabigerol (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Whole blood cannabigerol may have forensic utility as a highly specific albeit insensitive biomarker of recent cannabis smoking.

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Publisher Full Text (DOI)

Authors+Show Affiliations

Rague JM

Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety, Denver Health, Denver, CO, USA.

Ma M

Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.

Dooley G

Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

Wang GS

Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.

Friedman K

Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety, Denver Health, Denver, CO, USA.

Henthorn TK

Department of Anesthesiology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.

Brooks-Russell A

Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.

Kosnett MJ

Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA. Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

36939145

Citation

Rague, John M., et al. "The Minor Cannabinoid Cannabigerol (CBG) Is a Highly Specific Blood Biomarker of Recent Cannabis Smoking." Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.), 2023, pp. 1-7.

Rague JM, Ma M, Dooley G, et al. The minor cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG) is a highly specific blood biomarker of recent cannabis smoking. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2023.

Rague, J. M., Ma, M., Dooley, G., Wang, G. S., Friedman, K., Henthorn, T. K., Brooks-Russell, A., & Kosnett, M. J. (2023). The minor cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG) is a highly specific blood biomarker of recent cannabis smoking. Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2023.2173076

Rague JM, et al. The Minor Cannabinoid Cannabigerol (CBG) Is a Highly Specific Blood Biomarker of Recent Cannabis Smoking. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2023 Mar 20;1-7. PubMed PMID: 36939145.

* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case

TY - JOUR T1 - The minor cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG) is a highly specific blood biomarker of recent cannabis smoking. AU - Rague,John M, AU - Ma,Ming, AU - Dooley,Gregory, AU - Wang,George Sam, AU - Friedman,Kyle, AU - Henthorn,Thomas K, AU - Brooks-Russell,Ashley, AU - Kosnett,Michael J, Y1 - 2023/03/20/ PY - 2023/3/20/entrez PY - 2023/3/21/pubmed PY - 2023/3/21/medline KW - Blood cannabinoids KW - CBG KW - Cannabis kinetics KW - THC KW - THC-COOH KW - cannabis forensics SP - 1 EP - 7 JF - Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) JO - Clin Toxicol (Phila) N2 - INTRODUCTION: The determination of recent cannabis use is of forensic interest in the investigation of automotive crashes, workplace incidents and other mishaps. Because Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol may persist in blood after psychoactive effects of intoxication resolve, particularly in regular users, short-lived minor cannabinoids such as cannabigerol have merited examination as adjunct indicators of recent cannabis inhalation. METHODS: As part of an observational cohort study, whole blood cannabinoids including cannabigerol were measured in whole blood by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry at baseline, and 30 minutes after initiation of a 15-minute supervised interval of ad libitum cannabis smoking in occasional (1-2 days/week over the past 30 days) (n = 24) and daily cannabis smokers (n = 32). Per protocol, subjects self-reported abstention from inhaling cannabis (>8 h) or ingesting cannabis (>12 h) prior to baseline measurement. RESULTS: At baseline, none of the occasional users had detectable cannabigerol (limit of detection = 0.2 µg/L), whereas cannabigerol was detectable post-smoking in 7 of 24 (29%). Among daily cannabis users, 2 of 32 (6%) had detectable cannabigerol at baseline, increasing to 21 of 32 (66%) post-smoking. The odds ratio for recent cannabis smoking associated with a detectable cannabigerol was 27 (95% confidence interval: 6.6, 110.3). In this mixed cohort of occasional and daily cannabis users, receiver operator characteristic curve analysis indicated that whole blood cannabigerol concentration of ≥ 0.2 µg/L had 96% specificity, 50% sensitivity, and 73% accuracy for identifying a 15-minute interval of ad libitum cannabis smoking initiated 30 minutes earlier. Post smoking blood Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (median = 5.6 µg/L in occasional users, 21.3 µg/L in daily users) was significantly correlated with post-smoking cannabigerol (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Whole blood cannabigerol may have forensic utility as a highly specific albeit insensitive biomarker of recent cannabis smoking. SN - 1556-9519 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/36939145/The_minor_cannabinoid_cannabigerol__CBG__is_a_highly_specific_blood_biomarker_of_recent_cannabis_smoking_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -

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The minor cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG) is a highly specific blood biomarker of recent cannabis smoking.Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2023 Mar 20 [Online ahead of print]CT