Specimen Information

Type

Urine, random

Volume

5.0 ml

Transport Info

Refrigerated

Fasting Required?

False

Clinical Significance

Detect presence of cannabinoids (THC) in urine.

Marijuana and its sister drug, hashish, come from the hemp plant Cannabis saliva, which grows throughout the world. These drugs contain at least 61 cannabinoids (a class of chemicals unique to the cannabis plant), of which ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive compound. THC acts as a mild sedative-hypnotic that may produce euphoria, heightened sensations, and, in higher doses, even hallucinations. Principal routes of administration are inhalation (smoking) and oral ingestion.THC is highly fat soluble and therefore readily stored in fatty tissues, where it may remain in the body for several days or even weeks. It is rapidly transformed by liver enzymes to over 24 metabolites, the primary one being 11-nor-D9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid. Approximately 70% of a THC dose is excreted in feces and urine within 72 hours of administration. The concentrations of THC metabolites in urine are influenced by several factors: the amount of THC absorbed in the bloodstream; the frequency of prior use; the timing of urine specimen collection in relation to the last exposure to THC; and the rate of release of stored cannabinoids from fatty tissues. Heavy chronic THC users who stop taking the drug may show positive urine tests for a month or longer.This assay provides a choice of three cutoff levels: 25 ng/mL, 50 ng/mL, and 100 ng/mL. This assay is appropriate for testing under Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA, formerly National Institute on Drug Abuse or NIDA) guidelines, which recommend a cutoff level of 50 ng/mL.