Postmortem Cannabinoids

• Author: James G. Wigmore
• Pages: 375-383

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Postmortem Cannabinoids

As THC is fat soluble, it is found mainly in the postmortem t issues that

contain fat, and if can nabis is smoked prior to death, it will be found

in high concentrations in the lungs (, , ). Cannabinoids

undergo less postmortem redistribution than would be expected in a

fat-soluble drug (). Although vitreous humor is a good sample for

alcohol analysis, it is a poor sample for THC analysis (). Cerumen

(ear wax) may be an alternative speci men to show cannabis use ().

Next of kin interviews found reported can nabis use in only  percent of

the deceased who tested positive for cannabinoids ().

Reference Number: 70101

, .,  .. . “A Preliminary Investigation on the Dis-

tribution of Cannabinoids in Man.” Forensic Science International, :

e–e,  ( tables,  references)

Abstract: The postmortem femoral blood, heart blood, V H, brain, liver,

lung, muscle, and kidney concentrations of THC, CBD, CBN, -OH-

THC, THCCOOH, and THCCOOgluc were determined in f‌ive cases of

sudden death by LC/MS/MS. Cann abinoids were hardly detected in VH.

Muscle was a better matrix for post mortem cannabinoids tha n CSF.