ATR-FTIR Characterization of Huffman Synthetic Cannabinoids

Abstract

Synthetic cannabinoids have first been studied as potential medication for multiple sclerosis, human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome, John Huffman being a pioneer in the development of these compounds. Unfortunately, many of these substances later invaded the black market of drugs of abuse, nowadays being on the list of controlled substances.

Although the recommended analytical methods for positively identifying the drugs of abuse are GC-MS and GC-FTIR, new techniques such as ATR-FTIR have gained ground in the last decade. Its main advantage is the fact that it does not require sample preparation, and thus it may also be used for compounds having a relatively low volatility. Another important aspect is that the relatively small dimensions of the ATR-FTIR spectrometers make them adequate for in situ determinations, which are very useful in the case of law enforcement operations.

We are presenting a detailed ATR-FTIR characterization of Huffman synthetic cannabinoids that have emerged the most frequently in the samples seized by the law enforcement authorities worldwide. The analysis starts with JWH-018, the most potent and easy to synthesize Huffman cannabinoid, which seems to be the most widely abused compound of the JWH series. The infrared bands characterizing the common molecular skeleton have been identified by comparing the ATR-FTIR spectra of 13 JWH synthetic cannabinoids.