Appropriate Instrumentation for the Chemical Analysis of Cannabis and Derivative Products: Part 1

Author: Rebecca Stevens

Restek Corporation

Published By: Cannabis Industry Journal

Year of Publication: 2016

Link: https://www.cannabisindustryjournal.com/column/appropriate-instrumentation-for-the-chemical-analysis-of-cannabis-and-derivative-products-part-1/

Abstract:

The introduction of a series of articles focusing on the applications of instruments for different types of chemical analyses.

Election Day 2016 resulted in historic gains for state level cannabis prohibition reform. Voters in California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada chose to legalize adult use of Cannabis sp. and its extracts while even traditionally conservative states like Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota enacted policy allowing for medical use. More than half of the United States now allows for some form of legal cannabis use, highlighting the rapidly growing need for high quality analytical testing.

For the uninitiated, analytical instrumentation can be a confusing mix of abbreviations and hyphenation that provides little obvious information about an instrument’s capability, advantages and disadvantages. In this series of articles, my colleagues and I at Restek will break down and explain in practical terms what instruments are appropriate for a particular analysis and what to consider when choosing an instrumental technique.