The Cannabis plant produces a variety of molecules that interact with the human endocannabinoid system. These molecules, named cannabinoids, are drugs with many benefits ranging from pain relief to appetite stimulation. The most popular cannabinoids currently used for medicinal and recreational purposes are Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). These two substances are the primary cannabinoids found within the cannabis plant, but there are many more cannabinoids that can provide possible therapeutic benefits that occur in minor quantities. One of these cannabinoids, cannabinol (CBN), has promising potential as a sleep aid. Our project aims to find a unique method for creating synthetic CBN from CBD in high yield and isolation efficiency. If such a method could be derived, it could be applied to industrial settings, specifically within the hemp industry, to provide more CBN of higher quality to the general market at lower costs. Our project will compare existing synthetic routes to CBN to our own. Our synthetic route begins with CBD as it’s readily available in large quantities within the hemp plant. We then use existing methods of converting CBD into Δ8-THC at a high yield. After this intermediate step, the Δ8-THC is finally converted into CBN. The last step requires a workup and efficient isolation of our product. The current isolation method used is column chromatography, but we intend on experimenting with thermomorphic systems to improve efficiency.

Syntheis and isolation of cannabinoids

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