Research

Highlights from the 2018 Cannabis Science Conference

The method described here allows for the simultaneous analysis of 47 pesticides and five mycotoxins in cannabis in one simple QuEChERS procedure. This simple method is designed for implementation in start-up laboratories and in established laboratories that wish to streamline their sample preparation process, decrease solvent usage, and obtain accurate and fast results.

An investigation of C18 and phenyl-hexyl column chemistries for definitive identification of 13 synthetic cannabinoid metabolites in patient samples.

The wide dynamic range of ICP-MS allows it to be used for the simultaneous determination of parts-per-billion levels of heavy metals including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, together with high parts-per-million levels of nutritional elements, such as phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Other techniques for monitoring cannabinoids, such as GC–MS and LC–MS, are limited to screening known species and are therefore always one step behind the designer drug market-where new, previously unknown variations of analogs of cannabinoids are constantly being synthesized. The method presented here addresses this problem by providing accurate masses for all detected species, thus allowing postanalysis identification of initially untargeted compounds.

An interview with Sue Sisley

Efficient synthesis of complex cannabinoids is possible while avoiding marijuana cultivation.