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Identification and quantitation of cannabimimetic compound JWH-250 as an adulterant in products obtained via the Internet

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Abstract

During our careful survey of unregulated drugs in Tokyo, a new compound was disclosed as an adulterant in herbal and powder products. This compound was found to have a molecular weight of 335 by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the accurate mass measurement suggested an elementary composition of C22H26NO2. Using these mass data together with those obtained by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, the compound was identified as 1-pentyl-3-(2-methoxyphenylacetyl)indole (JWH-250), which had been reported by Huffman and coworkers in 2005. This compound was classified as a phenylacetylindole and a cannabinoid receptor agonist. For quantitation of the compound in herbal and powder products, each product was extracted with methanol under ultrasonication to prepare the solution for analysis by liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The contents of JWH-250 in five products ranged from 77.4 to 165 mg per pack.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Drugs, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, 3-24-1 Hyakunin-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 169-0073, Japan

    Jun’ichi Nakajima, Misako Takahashi, Takako Seto & Jin Suzuki

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  1. Jun’ichi Nakajima
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  2. Misako Takahashi
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  3. Takako Seto
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  4. Jin Suzuki
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Correspondence to Jun’ichi Nakajima.

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Nakajima, J., Takahashi, M., Seto, T. et al. Identification and quantitation of cannabimimetic compound JWH-250 as an adulterant in products obtained via the Internet. Forensic Toxicol 29, 51–55 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-010-0101-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-010-0101-2

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