The story of Charlotte’s Web surrounds a young girl with untreatable epilepsy, Charlotte Figi, and her therapeutic experience with a specific cultivar of hemp, CW1AS1. This cultivar developed by the Stanley Brothers provided her relief from constant seizures so she could live a full life. At Charlotte’s Web, CW1AS1 and hybrid cultivars are being continuously studied to elucidate the specific attributes of the chemical profile that are responsible for its medicinal properties. Towards this goal, we aim to fully identify and understand the terpene and terpenoid profile of CW1AS1 so that hybrid cultivars can be grown in diverse climates while retaining efficacy. In this study, five replicate samples from three distinct cultivars (CW1AS1, Kirsche, and Lindorea) were harvested on October 13, 2021 in Greeley, CO and immediately analyzed by liquid-injection GC-MS in Louisville, CO. The fresh plant terpene profiles are compared, noting the differences in abundance of different classes of terpenes from different cultivars as well as differences between plants within the same cultivar. To study the drying process, additional samples from the same plants were sent through a dehydrator and air dried, separately, to compare different drying methods. This work has implications for breeding strategies targeting certain terpenes as well as the development of techniques that could be used to preserve terpenes during the harvest and manufacturing processes.

GC-MS terpene analysis throughout drying processes of Charlotte’s Web hemp cultivars CW1AS1, Kirsche, and Lindorea

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.