A groundbreaking new device can determine the levels of 10 cannabinoids, including cannabidiol, in under 8 minutes per sample.
We recently mentioned the importance of medical marijuana quality control in relation to contaminants. Another critical aspect of quality control is being able to deliver a reliable product each time in terms of potency. As with any medicine, a consistent dose is vital.
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (SSI) recently announced availability of the Cannabis Analyzer for Potency. It says the high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) is the first device designed specifically for quantitative determination of cannabinoid content.
SSI states it’s a complete turn-key solution that can be easily operated, even by inexperienced analysts.
“After one day of installation and testing, users are equipped with everything they need to obtain cannabis potency results,” states the company. “Operators save valuable lab time because they don’t have to develop quantitative testing methods. Included methods have been confirmed for ruggedness, repeatability, and quantitative accuracy.”
The cannabinoids the Cannabis Analyzer for Potency can test for:
| d9-THC | d9-Tetrahydrocannabinoid |
| d8-THC | d8-Tetrahydrocannabinoid |
| THCA | d9-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid |
| THCV | Tetrahydrocannabivarin |
| CBD | Cannabidiol |
| CBDA | Cannabidiolic acid |
| CBDV | Cannabidivarin |
| CBG | Cannabigerol |
| CBGA | Cannabigerolic acid |
| CBN | Cannabinol |
| CBC | Cannabichromene |
The THCV testing functionality is available as part of the High Sensitivity method package, with an analysis time of 10 minutes.
The cost of such a device? We have no idea, but dollars to doughnuts it would be a just a little on the pricey side.
While third party testing helps boost consumer confidence, being able to carry out in-house testing on an ongoing basis could be an important differentiator for companies producing cannabidiol products and other therapeutic cannabinoids.
Accuracy of cannabidiol potency is increasingly becoming an issue for consumers who are becoming aware of the number of manufacturers churning out products that don’t match the claims on the label. It’s certainly not unheard of that products claiming to have high CBD levels to contain little if any at all.
Founded in 1975, Shimadzu is a $3 billion multinational corporation. You can read more about the Cannabis Analyzer for Potency i-Series Solution Package here.
