Abstract
Cannabis has regained much attention as a result of updated legislation authorizing many different uses and can be classified on the basis of the content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychotropic substance for which there are legal limitations in many countries. For this purpose, accurate qualitative and quantitative determination is essential. The relationship between THC and cannabidiol (CBD) is also significant as the latter substance is endowed with many specific and non-psychoactive proprieties. For these reasons, it becomes increasingly important and urgent to utilize fast, easy, validated, and harmonized procedures for determination of cannabinoids. The procedure described herein allows rapid determination of 10 cannabinoids from the inflorescences of Cannabis sativa L. by extraction with organic solvents. Separation and subsequent detection are by RP-HPLC-UV. Quantification is performed by an external standard method through the construction of calibration curves using pure standard chromatographic reference compounds. The main cannabinoids dosed (g/100 g) in actual samples were cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), CBD, and Δ9-THC (Sample L11 CBDA 0.88 ± 0.04, CBD 0.48 ± 0.02, Δ9-THC 0.06 ± 0.00; Sample L5 CBDA 0.93 ± 0.06, CBD 0.45 ± 0.03, Δ9-THC 0.06 ± 0.00). The present validated RP-HPLC-UV method allows determination of the main cannabinoids in Cannabis sativa L. inflorescences and appropriate legal classification as hemp or drug-type.
Highlights
Cannabis is classified into the family of Cannabaceae and initially encompassed three main species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis [1]
All plants are categorized as belonging to Cannabis sativa and classified into chemotypes based on the concentration of the main cannabinoids
Chemotype I or “drug-plants” have a TCHA/cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) ratio >1.0, plants that exhibit an intermediate ratio are classified as chemotype II, chemotype III or “fiber-plants” have a THCA/CBDA ratio
Summary
Cannabis is classified into the family of Cannabaceae and initially encompassed three main species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis [1]. All plants are categorized as belonging to Cannabis sativa and classified into chemotypes based on the concentration of the main cannabinoids. Depending on the THCA/CBDA ratio, some chemotypes have been distinguished. Chemotype I or “drug-plants” have a TCHA/CBDA ratio >1.0, plants that exhibit an intermediate ratio are classified as chemotype II, chemotype III or “fiber-plants” have a THCA/CBDA ratio
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