Cannabis consumer products are a $4.6 billion industry in the U.S. that is projected to exceed $14 billion by 2025. Despite an absence of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation or clinical data, thousands of nutraceuticals, topical consumer products, and beauty products claim benefits of hemp or cannabidiol. However, a lack of required quality control measures prevents consumers from knowing the true concentration or purities of cannabis-labeled products. Thirteen over-the-counter consumer products were examined for the presence of cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA). Additionally, the efficacy of topical applications was investigated using a porcine skin model, in which particle size and zeta potential relate to skin permeability. Skin permeation was correlated to particle size and relative stability in skin-like conditions but not directly related to the CBD content, suggesting that topical products can be designed to enhance overall skin permeation. Of the products analyzed, all products have some traceable amount of cannabinoids, while seven products had multiple cannabinoids with quantifiable amounts. Overall, the need for further regulation is clear, as most products have apparent distinctions between their true and labeled contents.
Recently, topical products advertising cannabinoid ingredients have gained popularity. Consumers are seeing an increase of commercial products containing ingredients from hemp oil to cannabidiol (CBD) due to health benefit claims. Cosmetic products containing cannabinoids are currently not regulated at the federal level. A laboratory experiment for undergraduate students in analytical and organic chemistry courses was developed utilizing high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis to identify and quantify cannabinoid compounds present in commercially available topical products. Students used calibration curves of a cannabinoid standard to quantify cannabinoids present in the CBD products. By comparing relative retention times of the cannabinoids present in the standard, students were able to identify the cannabinoids present in their lotion sample. Responsibilities and assignments suit students ranging from introductory to advanced chemistry courses. Students are provided the opportunity to extract and experimentally calculate the amount of CBD and compare to the amounts advertised on product labels. Results showed that the average CBD amounts were higher than advertised for all lotions except CBDFx when analyzed using HPLC. This experiment can be modified to incorporate a variety of different topical water-based products including hair products, shampoo, and other cosmetics. Furthermore, an analysis of samples using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was also developed to adapt to instrument availability.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.