Characterization of CBD oils, seized on the Belgian market, using infrared spectroscopy: Matrix identification and CBD determination, a proof of concept

The availability of cannabidiol (CBD) oil products has increased in recent years. No analytical controls are mandatory for these products leading to uncertainties about composition and quality. In this paper, a methodology was developed to identify the oil matrix and to estimate the CBD content in such samples, using mid-infrared and near-infrared spectroscopy. Different oils were selected based on the information labeled on products and were bought in food stores in order to create a sample set with a variety of matrices. These oils were spiked with CBD to obtain samples with CBD levels from 0% to 20%. The first part of the study was focused on the qualitative analysis of the oil matrix. A classification model, based on Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy, was build using the spiked oils to distinguish between the different oil matrices. For both spectroscopic techniques, the sensitivity, the specificity, the accuracy and the precision were equal to 100%. These models were applied to determine the oil matrix of seized samples. The second part of the study was focused on the quantitative estimation of CBD. After determination of CBD in seized samples using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, partial least square regression (PLS-R) models were built, one for each matrix in the sample set. Both techniques were able to classify unknown oily samples according to their matrix, and although only few samples were available to evaluate the PLS-R models, the approach clearly showed promising results for the estimation of the CBD content in oil samples.

CBD oils on the Belgian market: A validated MRM GC-MS/MS method for routine quality control using QuEChERS sample clean up

Quality control of CBD oils on the Belgium market showed that the CBD content not always corresponds to the label claim. There is a pressing need to develop new analytical methods specifically developed to the assay of such oily samples. Analytical issues are, however, encountered for routine analyses due to the matrix complexity, high cost of cannabinoid standards and low Δ9-THC concentrations. An oily matrix could cause technical damages to analytical instruments and reduce the lifetime of the chromatographic columns. This paper proposes a procedure combining a sample cleanup by QuEChERS, removing the oily matrix, followed by a validated MRM GC-MS/MS method for the routine analysis of CBD oil samples. Eighteen CBD samples were selected on the Belgium market for analysis. This method allows the quantification of CBD, the legality check for the Δ9-THC content by a CBN standard and the screening of seven other cannabinoids namely CBN, CBDV, CBT, CBC, Δ8-THC, THCV and CBG. The method was validated at three concentration levels (0.5-1-2% (w/v)) for CBD and (0.05-0.1-0.2% (w/v)) for CBN. The detection limits for CBT, CBD, CBC, Δ8-THC, CBN and for the other cannabinoids of interest, were 10 and 14 ng/mL respectively. The accuracy profile values for CBD and CBN showed that the β-expectation tolerance intervals did not exceed the acceptance limits of ± 20%, meaning that 90% of future measurements will be included within this error range.

Cannabis, Cannabidiol Oils and Tetrahydrocannabinol-What Do Veterinarians Need to Know?

As cannabis-derived products have become more available, veterinarians are seeing more cases of toxicosis. In addition, animal owners are having an increasing interest in using these products for their pets. This review looks at the situation in Europe and North America, the different types of cannabis and cannabis-derived products with historical examples of use in animals, and the cannabis industry. The existing regulatory framework for use in humans and animals as medicines and/or supplements was examined. Finally, a review of the clinical indications for which medicinal cannabis is authorised, a discussion of toxicosis, and recommendations and warnings around medical cannabis use are presented.