A validated method for determination of cannabinoid content in dietary supplements by UPLC-MS

Natural products containing cannabinoids derived from Cannabis sativa (L.), a medicinal plant with a long history of ethnobotanical uses, are now emerging as popular dietary supplements in the consumer marketplace. In spite of the ambiguous interpretation of the federal legal status, cannabinoid products are now readily available from online outlets and are increasingly being marketed by mainstream retailers. Many states have enacted legislation conferring various levels of legal status to Cannabis, and in recent months thirteen states have passed so called "low-THC" or "CBD-only" laws to allow widespread access to certain natural products that are less contentious in terms of the current Schedule I classification by the federal Controlled Substances Act. Although techniques exist for quantification of cannabinoids in crude plant materials as well as in blood and urine, dietary supplements present analytical challenges due to complex matrices and the inherent variability of bioactive forms with oral delivery. Reported here is a validated method for rapid determination of cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBD-A), Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THC-A) and cannabigerol using UPLC with detection by photo-diode array and single quadrupole mass spectrometry.