Towards a better method of cannabinoid extraction and preservation for cannabis-based products

MILANO, P.G.; PASCUAL, A.C.; BOCETTI, M.C.; CHAMORRO AGUIRRE, E.; PASQUARÉ, S.J.

Mar del Plata

Congreso; Reunión Anual de Sociedades de Biociencia; 2019

Although cannabis is widely consumed for medicinal purposes, little is known about its content. In Bahía Blanca city, Argentina, we observed that 3.4% of 59 analysed cannabis oils failed to contain delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN), and that 89.5% had more THC than CBD. Several reports highlight the importance of quantifying cannabinoids in medicinal products in order to use an appropriate concentration. Here, we aimed to study the extraction, quantification and storage of the different cannabinoids products. To this end, cannabis female flowers were grinded and heated (115°C 40 min) to decarboxylate acidic cannabinoids. Extractions were performed by adding 5% (w/v) ethanol, vortexed, sonicated, and agitated by a shaking platform. The mixture was centrifuged and the supernatant was evaporated under stream of N2. Resin, ethanol and oil preparations were stored at different temperatures and/or containers for up to 60 days. THC, CBD and CBN content was quantified by HPLC. Ethanol extracts from plants harvested in winter showed a 123% increase in THC+CBN content with respect to a clone harvested in summer (p