Recommended Methods for the Identification and Analysis of Cannabis and Cannabis Products

Book excerpt: Cannabis products are the most widely trafficked drugs worldwide, and it also remains the most widely used drug worldwide. At the same time, production methods have become increasingly sophisticated, resulting in the availability in illicit markets of a wide range of cannabis products. This updated and significantly revised manual has been prepared taking into account both developments in analytical technology and advances in the science of cannabis. It is aimed at the harmonization and establishment of recommended methods of analysis for national drug analysis laboratories. The manual suggests approaches that may assist drug analysts in the selection of methods appropriate to the sample under examination and provide data suitable for the purpose at hand, leaving room also for adaptation to the level of sophistication of different laboratories and the various legal needs.