National Health Laboratory, 1 rue Louis Rech, L-3555 Dudelange, Luxembourg
*Corresponding author: Serge Schneider, National Health Laboratory, 1 rue Louis Rech, L-3555 Dudelange, Luxembourg
Submission: May 05, 2021;Published: May 21, 2021
ISSN: 2578-0042Volume5 Issue3
Research shows that cannabis has a beneficial impact on many different health issues and, as a
consequence, concentrated cannabis derived products are becoming increasingly popular. Above all, high
Cannabidiol (CBD) and low Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) extracts are aggressively marketed by many
vendors via internet-based shops. As with “classical” medication or food supplements, assessment of
product safety is an important issue. Because many different non-standardized production methods
are used and no international accepted technical verification procedures of the final products are yet
available, the quality of CBD oils generally cannot be guaranteed.
In this study, cannabinoid, terpene, pesticide, solvent and metal content of 24 CBD rich extracts
purchased from several internet vendors were investigated. Furthermore, consumer information given
on the internet site or as package insert is also discussed. Most of the samples had substandard consumer
information and CBD concentrations below the proclaimed values. Terpene concentrations were highly
variable, pesticides were detected in three samples and residual extraction solvents were detected in four
samples. Metals were present at low, non-toxic levels in all samples. Considering the growing popularity
of medical cannabis and of online shops consumer education is important and systematic quality testing
for cannabis extracts should be mandatory.
Keywords:
Cannabis extracts; Cannabinoid content; Terpenes; Pesticides; Metals; Solvents; Online vendorsAbbreviations:
CBD: Cannabidiol; CBDA: Cannabidiol Acid; CBG: Cannabigerol; CBGA: Cannabigerol Acid; CBN: Cannabinol; THC: Tetrahydrocannabinol; CYP: Cytochrome P; DMA: Direct Mercury Analyser; GC/MS: Gas Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry; GC/MS/MS: Gas Chromatography Coupled to Tandem Mass Spectrometry; HPLC/UV: High Performance Chromatography Coupled to Ultraviolt Detection; HS/GC/MS: Head Space Gas Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry; LC/MS/MS: Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Tandem Mass Spectrometry; LLOQ: Lower Limit of Quantification; LOD: Limit of Detection; MRM: Multiple Reaction Monitoring; PDA: Photodiode Array Detector; PTFE: Polytetrafluorethen; S/N: Signal to Noise Ratio; THCA: Tetrahydrocannabinol Acid