Test Kit for THC Amount in Cannabis Products — Innovation to Reduce Health Risk and Increase Consumer Safety

Chulalongkorn University Researchers have developed an electrochemical strip Test for the amount of THC which is the psychoactive agent in Cannabis. A highly sensitive, non-laboratory test kit yields fast, accurate results, helps ensure consumers' safety and reduces the risk of ingesting harmful substances.

After the unlocking of cannabis from narcotic drugs to be a controlled medicinal plant, cannabis has now been widely used in various products, including cooking and mixing in beverages, citing the various health benefits of cannabis. 

But anything that has benefits can also have drawbacks. Cannabis contains more than 400 different substances, with the two most important substances that are often mentioned being CBD (Cannabidiol) for medicinal purposes, and THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), a substance that is harmful to the body, can affect the nervous system, cause intoxication, and hallucinations. What is most dangerous is that overconsumption and allergies to THC can be fatal. Therefore, the Announcement of the Ministry of Public Health stipulates that the amount of THC in food and beverages must not exceed 2%, otherwise it will be considered narcotics.

How will consumers know if cannabis products are free of harmful substances?

Dr. Sudkate Chaiyo, Researcher
Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Research, Chulalongkorn University

Dr. Sudkate Chaiyo, a researcher at the Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Research, Chulalongkorn University,has developed an innovative "Rapid electrochemical strip test for THC amount" by adding to the knowledge on ATK test kit development that works with electrochemistry for the diagnosis and screening of COVID-19 produced by Thai people.

"Currently, the measurement of THC must be done in the laboratory with large instruments and the process is quite complicated. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the main agency that is responsible for the screening of THC substances in cannabis products. Therefore, we have developed an electrochemical strip test to allow consumers to initially check for THC themselves for more confidence and safety in consuming foods or beverages containing cannabis, Dr. Sudkate said. 

Portable, easy-to-use THC test for measuring hazardous substances at the nanoscale 

Dr. Sudkate said that although the chemical structure of CBD and THC in cannabis is quite similar, each strain of cannabis has a different CBD and THC amount. However, the electrochemical strip test for assessing the amount of THC is sensitive enough to accurately measure the THC value and is similar to the assay using the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) technique, which is the standard method used to detect the amount of THC.

"This test serves as a sensor that quickly measures the amount of THC in a certain food or drink with a high detection sensitivity, even if only 1.3 ng/mL of THC is detected." 

Dr. Sudkhet revealed that the efficacy of the kit comes from the integration of two sciences: rapid measurement of the lateral flow immunoassay test strips and high sensitivity measurement of electrochemical techniques. 

"The test kit uses the same principles as the COVID-19 ATK test, so it's easy to use. Just mix the cannabis-infused food or drink with the solution specific to the test strip and drip 2 drops onto the test strip, then wait about 6 minutes to read the results from the smartphone connected to the device." 

Electrochemical test strip kits are portable, easy to use, and inexpensive (costing 20 baht each). Dr. Sudkate hopes for the test to be an alternative way to assess the amount of THC outside the laboratory. This will be suitable for users in the group that need to use cannabis products and staff who are responsible for monitoring and controlling the amount of THC in cannabis-infused products. 

"This electrochemical strip test will help prevent people from accidentally consuming harmful substances, control the amount of cannabis to a safe level, and reduce the risk of accidents or harm to the body from THC," Dr. Sudkate said. 

This innovation received the Invention Award 2024 from the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT).

The Future of Strip Test ? A Simple device to help with disease screening 

Dr. Sudkate and the researchers from the Chula Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering continue to strive to develop a platform in the form of strip tests in conjunction with electrochemistry for medical use. Currently, the team is developing electrochemistry strip tests for venereal disease screening, a disease that Thai teenagers are at risk of developing and do not dare to consult a doctor.  The team is also working on electrochemical strip test kits to screen for people at high risk of contracting Streptococcus Suis from eating raw pork, etc. 

Entrepreneurs interested in co-developing electrochemical strip tests to screen THC content for commercial production can contact Dr. Sudkate Chaiyo, Chulalongkorn University Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Research Institute, Tel. 0-2218-8056?E-mail: sudkate.c@chula.ac.th.

"Chulalongkorn University sets the standard as a university of innovations for society and is listed in the World's Top 100 Universities for Academic Reputation, in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2021-2022."