Single-run separation and quantification of 14 cannabinoids using affinity non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis

Abstract

The legalization of cannabis has magnified the importance of determining the quantity and identification of cannabinoids. Both industry and consumers are highly interested in the content of cannabinoids available in their products, while health care professionals and regulators are concerned with the safety of cannabis. Quantification of major cannabinoids in products answers some of these concerns. Currently, popular methods of quantifying cannabinoids use high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Still, these HPLC methods are limited to quantifying a small number of cannabinoids unless more powerful but more costly instruments are employed to achieve better analysis, such as UHPLC and mass spectrometry. We propose a quick method that successfully separates and quantifies 14 cannabinoids in a single run using capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with a UV detector in 25 minutes. Our CE method demonstrated the limit of detection between 1.2–1.8 µg/mL, with the detection range reaching up to 50 µg/mL.