Improving Confidence in the Quantitative Analysis of Cannabis Terpenes using Flow-Modulated GC×GC–FID

This study demonstrates the use of flow-modulated GC×GC–FID to streamline profiling of cannabis terpenes and terpenoids. A key feature is the enhanced separation provided by GC×GC, which improves confidence in compound identity and data quality.

Introduction

The classification of terpenes and terpenoids is an important aspect of cannabis analysis, due to the distinctive aroma and flavour that they impart, as well as their contributions to physiological effects and psychoactivity. In the case of medical cannabis, specific terpene profiles are engineered by plant breeders in order to give the desired therapeutic effects.[1]

However, the separation and quantitation of these diverse compounds can be challenging. Conventional GC–FID or GC–MS results in the abundance of important terpenes being over-estimated, due to the co-elution of similar compounds or oxygenated derivatives, and poor confidence in data quality.