Cannabis Research
Started by R. Connor Graeff (Spring 2021)
Analytical Testing of Cannabis
Authors
- Robert Connor Graeff
- Alec Robert Hayes
- Professor Bradley Sturgeon
- Fall 2020 - Spring 2021
Introduction
Importance of Cannabis Research
- The importance of Cannabis Research is that we need to recognize the increasing diversity of cannabis products and their expand uses. Recognizing the increasing use of cannabis material and the legalization of the recreational use of cannabis unlocked the door for labs to start doing more research on cannabis. Also, farmers growing hemp material need analytical research done on their plant material because of laws and regulations set on cannabis. The farmers need to have their hemp material below 0.3 WT% of delta 9 THC otherwise it is considered marijuana. With that being said if a farmer has their hemp field above that percentage then they have a bunch of marijuana on their hands and that can cause multiple problems. Analytical testing is also important because the consumer needs to know what is in the products that are being sold. The consumers need to have confidence in the label on the material that when there is suppose to be a certain percentage of CBD in the product that they are getting that percentage.
Method Development
- Cannabis plant material is collected with cannabinoids present in the sample. The sample is then manicured and grinned up by the Kozo grinder and then placed into a glass jar. The cannabis material is then weighed out to 0.1 grams or a 100mg on an analytical balance. The plant material is then placed into a falcon tube and 5mL of methanol is added to the tube. The falcon tube is then placed on the shaker for 30 minutes at the max RPM. After the shaking is finished the liquid material inside the tube is syringed up out of the tube using a filter syringe. The filter is then placed on to the syringe and the sample is then syringed into a HPLC sampling vial. The sample is now placed on the HPLC sampler along with the correct standards.