Two dimensional thin-layer chromatography of ganja (Cannabis sativa L.)

An efficient and reliable two-dimensional thin-layer chromatographic technique for separation and identification of cannabinoids present in cannabis resin (Cannabis sativa L.) is described. A total of 47 different cannabinoids were successfully separated and 5 of these, cannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabichromene, trans-delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, were identified. A 0.1 per cent solution of Fast blue salt B in 45 per cent ethanol was employed as chromogenic reagent.