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Urine Cannabinoids Screen (THC)
Test CodeUTHCT
Alias/See Also
Marijuana, Hashish, THC
Preferred Specimen
15 mL urine (2 mL minimum)
Instructions
Freshly voided urine specimens should be used for testing. No additives or preservatives are needed. Adulteration of the urine specimen may cause erroneous results. If adulteration is suspected, obtain a fresh specimen. Deliver specimen to laboratory immediately.
Transport Container
Urine collection cup
Specimen Stability
Room temperature: 4 hours, Refrigerated: 24 hours, Freeze if storage for longer than 24 hours is required.
Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)
Do NOT use boric acid as a preservative.
Limitations
• A positive result indicates the likely presence of cannabinoids but does not indicate or measure intoxication.
• The presence of cannabinoids in urine is only an indication of recent exposure to or use of cannabinoids.
• The psychological and physiological effects of cannabinoids do not necessarily correlate with urinary concentration.
• A positive THC result indicates the likely presence of drug and its metabolites. The THC method cannot fully quantitate the concentration of individual components.
• Interpretation of results must take into account that urine concentrations vary extensively with fluid intake, and other biological variables.
• There is a possibility that other substances and/or factors not listed above may interfere with the test and cause false results, e.g., technical or procedural errors.
• The presence of cannabinoids in urine is only an indication of recent exposure to or use of cannabinoids.
• The psychological and physiological effects of cannabinoids do not necessarily correlate with urinary concentration.
• A positive THC result indicates the likely presence of drug and its metabolites. The THC method cannot fully quantitate the concentration of individual components.
• Interpretation of results must take into account that urine concentrations vary extensively with fluid intake, and other biological variables.
• There is a possibility that other substances and/or factors not listed above may interfere with the test and cause false results, e.g., technical or procedural errors.
Reference Range
None detected
Clinical Significance
Marijuana is a mixture of dried leaves and flowering tops of the plant Cannabis sativa L. The agents that produce the hallucinogenic and other biological effects of marijuana are called cannabinoids. Measurements of THC are used in the diagnosis and treatment of cannabinoids use or overdose. A more specific alternate chemical method must be used in order to obtain a confirmed analytical result. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is the preferred confirmatory method. Other chemical confirmation methods are available. Clinical consideration and professional judgment should be applied to any drug of abuse test result, particularly when preliminary positive results are used.
