Electrochemical detection of cannabis in untreated matrices

Illicit drug use is not only detrimental for the users but also for the economic and social development of a country. Among various classes of drugs, cannabis, also known as marijuana or hashish, is the most widely used drug. The world drug report 2021 released by UNODC estimates that 4 per cent of the global population used cannabis at least once in 2019, corresponding to 200 million people. In fact, the use of cannabis is 10 times higher than cocaine, amphetamine, or ecstasy. The Home Office report regarding the seizures of drugs in England and Wales in 2020 reports an increase by 11% in seizures involving at least one form of cannabis. The main cannabinoid present in cannabis-like plants is known as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), which causes euphoria, somnolence, changes in visual and auditory perception and a decrease in psychomotor abilities. In recent years, the content of Δ9-THC in the cannabis plant has quadrupled: linking its use to several health problems, especially in young people, where the harmful perceptions of cannabis has dropped by 40 per cent in the last few years. The aforementioned requires the development of a detection method of Δ9-THC in biological fluids and in plants or drugs seized by the police.