Chromatography is rapidly becoming the standard for the testing and subsequent safety of many cannabis products, from flower to extracts. Various techniques within this analytical discipline are currently employed, like GC, HPLC, LC-MS/MS, GC-MS and HS- GC. With the diversity of chromatographic techniques and the uncertainty in the regulations, it can be difficult for new laboratories to quickly develop sound analytical and operating procedures. In this presentation, we will first take a look at other industries that have successfully adopted chromatography, like environmental, pharmaceutical and food safety, to see what lessons can be learned to develop acceptable method criteria. Then, we will provide an overview of the common techniques and how they can be effectively utilized to test for quality and safety related to cannabis. These will include the use of GC and HPLC for potency and product quality, the use of GC-MS and LC-MS for the analysis of toxins and residues and the use of Headspace GC for residual solvent analysis. We will then define some key parameters and how we can utilize chromatographic principles to directly improve data quality, for all techniques discussed. Lastly, we will review some recent technological advancements that can be quickly adopted to improve data quality and sample throughput. Key Topics: · Overview of Liquid and Gas Chromatography techniques commonly utilized in the analysis of Cannabis · Defining how the data quality of chromatographic assays can directly affect the quality of cannabis · Areas for improvement and areas specifically critical for high data quality · Common methodology employed in other regulated markets that create a more consistent and accurate method – lessons to be learned · Overview of recent improvements in gas chromatography to increase data quality while increasing sample throughput

Recent improvements in chromatography: Advancing chromatographic data quality to make a safer Cannabis product

249th National Meeting (2015)

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