In 2000, cannabis was approved in Canada for medical use for the treatment of various clinical ailments. The numerous chemical constituents in this plant have demonstrated efficacy in neuropsychological disorders as well as anticancer, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. To date, 120 of the unique pharmacologically-active cannabinoids were characterized in <i>Cannabis sativa L. </i>The cannabinoids naturally carry a carboxylic acid moiety within the cannabis plant, and are physiologically almost inactive. In their decarboxylated forms, these phytocannabinoids such as THC and CBD, either alone or in combination with other phytocannabinoids, exhibit a variety of physiological activities by acting primarily through the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. We were interested in the extraction methodologies of different commercially available strains of Canadian medical cannabis in order to understand their chemical composition. Cannabis resin was extracted by various methods from commercial samples of medical cannabis and was subsequently subjected to decarboxylation. We employed UPLC-MS to analyze and quantify the extracted resins post-decarboxylation. These procedures serve as a stepping stone to implement the extraction and analyses of commercial medical cannabis samples available in Canada, to understand their chemical composition and hence, their potential pharmacological profiles.

Extraction methodologies of canadian medical cannabis

254th National Meeting (2017)

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