The impact of extraction protocol on the chemical profile of cannabis extracts from a single cultivar

Abstract

The last two decades have seen a dramatic shift in cannabis legislation around the world. Cannabis products are now widely available and commercial production and use of phytocannabinoid products is rapidly growing. However, this growth is outpacing the research needed to elucidate the therapeutic efficacy of the myriad of chemical compounds found primarily in the flower of the female cannabis plant. This lack of research and corresponding regulation has resulted in processing methods, products, and terminology that are variable and confusing for consumers. Importantly, the impact of processing methods on the resulting chemical profile of full spectrum cannabis extracts is not well understood. As a first step in addressing this knowledge gap we have utilized a combination of analytical approaches to characterize the broad chemical composition of a single cannabis cultivar that was processed using previously optimized and commonly used commercial extraction protocols including alcoholic solvents and super critical carbon dioxide. Significant variation in the bioactive chemical profile was observed in the extracts resulting from the different protocols demonstrating the need for further research regarding the influence of processing on therapeutic efficacy as well as the importance of labeling in the marketing of multi-component cannabis products.

Extraction solvent selection for Cannabis sativa L. by efficient exploration of cannabinoid selectivity and phytochemical diversity

“…An overview (not exclusive) of relevant works that employ each of the selected solvents is given in Table S2. Among the numerous published methods for cannabis analysis, few have addressed extraction solvent comparison based on actual experimental data for phytocannabinoid recovery 11,15,16,31–34,39 . Even so, a relatively narrow range of solvents is assessed in these works, as shown in Table S3, which summarises the existing comparative studies.…”

“…Among the numerous published methods for cannabis analysis, few have addressed extraction solvent comparison based on actual experimental data for phytocannabinoid recovery. 11,15,16,[31][32][33][34]39 Even so, a relatively narrow range of solvents is assessed in these works, as shown in Table S3, which summarises the existing comparative studies. In the present work, the majority of reported extraction solvents were covered.…”

“…In some other published reports, the effect of extraction solvents on a broader analyte range was investigated, examining also terpenes in addition to major neutral cannabinoids 32 or an even wider range of cannabis constituents. 33 In the latter recent study, Bowen et al evaluated minor cannabinoids as well, in addition to other metabolites and elements, using LC-MS, GC-MS, and inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-MS. 33 However, this is the first work comparing so high a number of solvents, as it includes the vast majority of reported extraction solvents which were examined for both major and minor cannabinoids.…”

“…In some other published reports, the effect of extraction solvents on a broader analyte range was investigated, examining also terpenes in addition to major neutral cannabinoids 32 or an even wider range of cannabis constituents. 33 Recently, Corni et al evaluated different extraction solvents (n = 4) based on HPTLCbioassays for bioprofiling (antimicrobial activity). 18 However, the number of solvents examined in these studies was rather limited and represents only a fraction of the reported range.…”

A First-Tier Framework for Assessing Toxicological Risk from Vaporized Cannabis Concentrates

“…Solvents used in ENDS may produce harmful degradation products such as formaldehyde and other carbonyls when exposed to elevated temperatures [15][16][17]. In contrast, current cannabis vaporization concentrates in the U.S. and Canadian regulated markets typically contain 60-90% cannabinoids (such as THC and cannabidiol (CBD)) and 5-15% terpenoids or flavors, with the remainder comprised of other cannabis compounds pulled through during the extraction process [18][19][20]. Often, these added terpenoids are collected during an additional step in the cannabinoid extraction that otherwise would have been lost due to the higher temperature required for cannabinoid extraction [21].…”