UHPLC-UV/MS fingerprint method for quantitative determination of THC, CBD, CBG, and other eight cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa L. varieties

The cannabis plant is one of the oldest plants known in medicine, with many reported medicinal uses for > 5,000 years. However, the chemistry of the plant was not fully investigated till the chemical structure of the active component was determined in 1964. Since then, over 10,000 scientific citations could be found on cannabis and the cannabinoids. The legal status of cannabis in the United States has been in a state of controversy. Although the drug in classified as a Schedule I Controlled Substance, therefore, illegal to possess without appropriate Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Registration, 23 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws allowing the medical use of cannabis. Furthermore, Colorado and Washington State have passed legislations allowing recreational use of the drug as well. Over the past few years there has been a tremendous public interest in cannabis and cannabis oil, with many growers sprouting in all states with legal medical use. The medical community and the end users have also shown much interest in knowing the composition of the materials on the market. Several laboratories have reported on methods to determine the chemical composition of the cannabis products, particularly the Δ⁹-THC and the CBD levels, along with a few other cannabinoids.

This report is directed toward an ultra-high performance liquid chromatographic method (UHPLC) with UV detection for the quantitation of eleven different cannabinoids with base line separation namely cannabidiolic acid, cannabigerolic acid, cannabigerol, cannabidiol, tetrahydrocannabivarin, cannabinol, Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol, Δ⁸-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabicyclol, cannabichromene, and Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A. The method was validated and applied to the analysis and profiling of different varieties of cannabis produced at the UM Medicinal Plants Garden, as well as for the analysis of several confiscated cannabis preparations. The LOD, LOQ and linearity of the method were 0.2 – 0.4 µg/mL, 0.5 – 1.0 µg/mL and 1.0 – 200 µg/mL respectively, for all eleven cannabinoids.