Development and Validation of a Cannabinoid Quantification Method in Oil and Marijuana by UHPLC-MS

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmacognosy
• Forensic Science

Background:

• Cannabis sativa L. cultivation has increased for medicinal and recreational uses.
• Rising demand for cannabis products, especially oils, fuels illicit trafficking.
• Accurate cannabinoid quantification is crucial for quality control and regulatory compliance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize the extraction of six cannabinoids from cannabis oil and marijuana samples.
• To develop and validate a quantitative and qualitative analytical method for seven cannabinoids.
• To ensure reliable analysis for medicinal and forensic applications.

Main Methods:

• Optimized solvent extraction using ethyl acetate for cannabis oil and marijuana.
• Employed sonication and vortex agitation for efficient sample preparation.
• Utilized ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-MS) for analysis.

Main Results:

• Ethyl acetate proved to be the optimal solvent for cannabinoid extraction.
• The UHPLC-LTQ-MS method demonstrated no matrix effects, with low limits of quantification (LOQ) and detection (LOD).
• High recovery rates (84.6-107.6% in oil, 80.6-105.9% in marijuana) and excellent precision were achieved across multiple analysts and laboratories.

Conclusions:

• The developed analytical method is highly sensitive, selective, and precise.
• This method is suitable for the accurate quantification of key cannabinoids including CBD, CBN, CBC, CBDA, Δ⁹-THC, and Δ⁹-THCA.
• The findings support robust quality control in the burgeoning cannabis industry and forensic analysis.