Introduction and development of methodology for forensic research of herbal smoking mixtures and widespread synthetic cannabinoids contained in them

Abstract

Nowadays, high interest exists in express analysis of different types of smoking mixtures containing synthetic cannabinoids. The diversity of psychoactive components has a tendency to grow, which dictates performing scientific research in order to elaborate and introduce a corresponding established methodology for the determination and quantitative calculation of synthetic cannabinoids contained in smoking mixtures. The aim is to have an elaborated and established methodology, which will allow for the determination of the mentioned components and to struggle with their illegal circulation when these components are included in the list of "Controlled drugs, psychoactive substances, and their precursors registered in the Republic of Armenia."
For the elaboration and introduction of this methodology, the experts of the Physical Technical Examinations and Chemical Expertises Department of the National Bureau of Expertises, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia — having great experience in the examination of drugs, psychoactive substances, and their precursors, a wide database, and corresponding tools and equipment such as gas chromatography devices, infrared spectrometers, and chromato-mass spectrometers — performed corresponding research for the determination and inclusion in the database of synthetic cannabinoids contained in smoking mixtures.