High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), once confined to the analytical laboratory, can now be implemented for in-field cannabis and hemp analysis. This advanced technology offers fully quantitative insights into sample purity and quality at any stage of product processing. Legitimate growers can fine-tune strain chemistry with precision, while producers can meet the most stringent standards of quality in a strictly-regulated marketplace.
HPLC is helping to legitimize cannabis products as the legal market looks set to overturn the illicit cannabis industry; estimated at a staggering $10.4 billion in 2018, despite the drug being Schedule 1 listed.
In this blog post, Icon Scientific will offer a brief overview of how the consensus on cannabis and hemp have changed in the U.S. and why HPLC is the perfect tool for the modern industry.
Brief History of Cannabis in the U.S.
Cannabis prohibition was adopted in many U.S. states in the 1920s when the plant was widely and incorrectly restricted as a poison; beginning a long history of criminalization and misinformation. Its primary psychoactive compound, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), was not even discovered until 1964, but cannabis had already been uniformly regulated as a drug since the mid-‘30s. Over 100 distinct cannabinoids have been discovered since THC was first isolated and characterized, but their real-world medicinal value has been difficult to qualify since the drug was officially banned by the Supreme Court of the United States with the introduction of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970.
Although the U.S. continues to condemn cannabis consumption at the federal level, 33 states have now legalized it for medical purposes and 21 states have decriminalized it for recreational uses. Hemp has also been legalized nationwide, thanks to the bipartisan Farm Bill of 2018. Couple these sweeping regulatory changes with the dramatic shift in public opinion on cannabis decriminalization (62% of U.S. adults now support cannabis legalization), and it appears as though the days of prohibition are numbered. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to advise caution regarding cannabinoid-based products and promises to evaluate the safety and science of cannabis consumption in this changing landscape. HPLC is pivotal in undoing the ongoing stigma of cannabis in commercial and medical applications.
Outlining HPLC Cannabis & Hemp Analysis
HPLC is used to separate a sample into its individual components based on its physicochemical properties (chemistry, molecular weight, etc.). A typical HPLC arrangement requires a solvent, inline degasser, HPLC pump, injection valve, HPLC column, column oven, UV detector, and chromatography software. This technique has traditionally been limited to benchtop analysis, but this has not inhibited the use of HPLC in cannabis and hemp analysis. Samples can easily be transported to analytical facilities to inform optimal harvest times, for testing of finished products, or at any stage in between.
The technology remains the gold standard for cannabis potency and purity testing, although the instrumentation can only be operated by highly-trained personnel. There may also be a delay in acquiring data as samples are transported from the farm or dispensary to the HPLC laboratory.
Icon Scientific has developed the ideal solution to required third-party testing for cannabinoid potency and purity. The ANSER is a field-portable and user-friendly HPLC system designed for professionals in the cannabis and hemp sector, rather than scientists. Growers and processors alike can operate the ANSER HPLC system with ease, whether they are testing for maximum THC concentration, cannabinol (CBD) purity, or downstream quality control of cannabinoid products comprised of various cannabinoids of interest, including:
- CBD or cannabidivarin (CBDV)
- Cannabichromene (CBC)
- Cannabinol (CBN)
- Cannabigerol (CBG) or cannabigerovarin (CBGV)
- THC or tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV)
If you would like any more information about the ANSER HPLC system for cannabis and hemp analysis, including pricing, simply contact a member of the Icon Scientific team today.
References:
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/111015/future-marijuana-industry-america.asp
https://www.dea.gov/controlled-substances-act
https://www.businessinsider.com/legal-marijuana-states-2018-1?r=US&IR=T
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/08/americans-support-marijuana-legalization/
ICON Scientific, Inc
