Cannabinoid Potency in Cannabis Oil and Medical Marijuana by GC-FID

The use of cannabinoid-based products and medical marijuana is growing in response to increased legalization in multiple countries. With an increasing variety of products available, the control of cannabinoid content is becoming popular in modern day manufacturing and testing laboratories.

Street marijuana usually contains high levels of Δ9-THC and a lower level of CBD, with medical marijuana, and even hemp, containing higher levels of CBD and lower levels of Δ9-THC. The primary psychoactive component of all cannabis products is Δ9-THC, whilst CBD is the primary therapeutic component. Consumer hemp generally comes in the form of hemp oil which is used for medical purposes, whilst street and medical marijuana are often smoked.

The analysis of cannabinoid potency is vital not only for quality control, but also toxicology purposes. In this application, SCION Instruments developed a quick and easy method for the identification and quantitation of neutral cannabinoid content by Gas Chromatography – Flame Ionisation Detection (GC-FID). The method was tested and validated using both hemp oil and medical marijuana samples