Analytical Methodologies for Cannabis Characterization

Human use of cannabis, as oil, fiber, medicine, recreational and for other purposes, spans many thousands of years. Understanding of cannabis chemistry is more recent, and it is informative to consider the modern discovery of phytocannabinoids (cannabinoids naturally occurring in cannabis). For example, CBD was first isolated in 1940 by Roger Adams and its structure was elucidated by Raphael Mechoulam in 1963. Scientific work of these pioneers progressed despite legal prohibition of cannabis. They applied logical methodologies for identification of unknowns, combining traditional chemical and physical analysis, as well as application of spectroscopic techniques. Recently, the farm bill of 2018 legalized hemp at the federal level in the US. Thus, development of modern instruments, especially in the areas of chromatography and mass spectrometry, greatly allows accelerated research progress today.
Science advances through trial and discovery. Within the field of cannabis, consumer demand and regulatory/supplier responses to that demand exceed the rate at which researchers can answer important scientific questions. The market is currently weighted toward the trial and error side, but it behooves us to accelerate scientific discovery in order to enhance consumer safety and eliminate unsafe practices. With the massive existence of products in the market (oils, lotions, edibles, dietary supplements…), it is very important to develop instrumental analytical methods for the chemical characterization of these products. This includes analysis of solvents, trace metals, pesticides, mycotoxins, cannabinoids and terpenes, to name a few. There are no official standard methods for these types of analyses at this time. This Symposia will feature talks from industry, government and academia, focusing on analytical methods and best practices for the analysis of cannabis products. This will be a very useful session for scientists working in the field of cannabis chemical analysis.