ostalo
Cannabis is the most frequently seized and produced illicit drug in Croatia, as it is worldwide. The main psychotropic properties of cannabis are derived
from Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In accordance with Croatian legal acts, any cannabis plants except certified hemp varieties listed in the European
Union Plant Variety Catalogue with a THC content not exceeding 0.2% in the dry plant material are prohibited, along with cannabis resin (hashish),
extracts, and tinctures.
The aim of this presentation is to provide an insight into the structure of cannabis seizures confiscated in Croatia from 2018 to 2022. Furthermore,
presumptive tests used at the crime scene, routine methods in cannabis casework conducted at the FSCIV are presented in addition to the results of
genetic research carried out in order to differentiate cannabis and hemp.
Most commonly seized cannabis material analyzed at FSCIV includes herbal cannabis, cannabis plants, cannabis extracts, and hashish. In the
abovementioned period, herbal cannabis was predominant with the average amount of 74.2% of total seizures, followed by cannabis plant seizures
(18.7%). Less often-seized material was cannabis extract (4%) and, last, hashish with the average amount of 3% of total seizures.
Upon finding the material suspected to be cannabis, first preliminary tests are applied at the crime scene. The most common presumptive color tests
used in Croatia are the M.M.C. International B.V. Cannabis test for THC detection and HEMPTEST®-C for the detection of Cannabidiol (CBD), THC,
or Cannabinol (CBN) predominance in tested samples.
After crime scene processing, the first step of cannabis casework analysis in FSCIV includes morphology examination. Subsequently, Thin Layer
Chromatography (TLC) is used for semiquantitative analysis, Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector (GC/FID) and High-Performance
Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) for cannabinoids quantification, as well as Gas Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) for qualitative
analysis of cannabinoids. However, these methods are not always sufficient for differentiation purposes (i.e., when seeds and immature plants are being
analyzed). Furthermore, non-certified potent CBD and Cannabigerol (CBG) varieties present new challenges in cannabis forensic examination.
Nevertheless, the application of genetic methods could provide additional information if routine methods were insufficient for differentiation.
Therefore, the selected genetic markers were studied for their potential application at FSCIV. First, nine Short Tandem Repeats (STRs)-ANUCS302,
ANUCS303, ANUCS305, ANUCS501, B05-CANN1, C11-CANN1, D02-CANN1, E07-CANN1, and H06-CANN2-were chosen. The results of
selected STRs were not sufficient for differentiation between cannabis and hemp. Furthermore, since 98% of the analyzed samples confiscated in
Croatia were propagated by seeds, STRs were not useful tool for tracking clonally propagated cannabis and linking the seizures. Onwards, genetic
research was continued with the THCAS marker developed by Kojoma et al., D589 gene marker and sequencing of THCAS gene. The concordance
of obtained results for marker reported by Kojoma and D589 markers was observed but these markers also showed lack of specificity for differentiation
purpose. However, THCAS gene sequencing demonstrated effectiveness for distinguishing cannabis and certified hemp varieties.
Hence, future study will be dedicated to sequencing the THCAS gene in certified hemp and casework samples, along with establishing the database of
THCAS gene variants.
cannabis seizures; hemp; genetic markers
Razvojem virtualizacijskih tehnologija raste kompleksnost IT sustava, dok korisnici istovremeno zahtijevaju brži pristup resursima, napredne integracije i jednostavnost korištenja. Jedno od ključnih rješenja za ove izazove primjena je…
Ovaj rad istražuje i uspoređuje mogućnosti prosljeđivanja grafičkih kartica na Hyper-V i KVM hipervizorima prema virtualnim strojevima, detaljno opisujući metode, postupke i razlike u arhitekturi koje utječu na…
The ever-growing usage and adaptation of HTTP/3 in web traffic leverages Quick UDP Internet Connections (QUIC) as a transport protocol. QUIC is widely recognized for reduced latency, enhanced…
