Major
Forensic Science
Anticipated Graduation Year
2022
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
The cannabis plant (Cannabis Sativa L., aka hemp) produces a variety of compounds covering numerous chemical classes such as cannabinoids, terpenes, and terpenoids. The cannabinoid subclass which produces psychoactive and other pharmacological effects includes chemically neutral and acidic compounds. Cannabinoid acids were recently proven to be effective at binding to the spike protein of the COVID-19 virus and thus inhibited cell entry, replication, and infection. Analysis of these compounds can be performed by numerous techniques including Gas Chromatography-Electron Impact-Mass Spectrometry (GC-EI-MS). We developed a targeted methodology to analyze four of the known acids commonly found in consumer products by GC-EI-MS. Since the cannabinoid acids are prone to decarboxylate at elevated temperatures and revert to their neutral counterparts (ex. CBDA to CBD, THCA to THC), they are found formulated mainly into non-smokable consumer products. The elevated temperatures used in GC-EI-MS analysis necessitated the addition of a protective group to active –OH groups via derivatization. This methodology proved to be effective at overcoming decarboxylation and allowed the acids to survive the analysis.
Community Partners
Loyola University Chicago
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
James V. DeFrancesco
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Cannabis Analysis II: Detection of Cannabinoid Acids that Inhibit COVID-19 Infection in Consumer Products
The cannabis plant (Cannabis Sativa L., aka hemp) produces a variety of compounds covering numerous chemical classes such as cannabinoids, terpenes, and terpenoids. The cannabinoid subclass which produces psychoactive and other pharmacological effects includes chemically neutral and acidic compounds. Cannabinoid acids were recently proven to be effective at binding to the spike protein of the COVID-19 virus and thus inhibited cell entry, replication, and infection. Analysis of these compounds can be performed by numerous techniques including Gas Chromatography-Electron Impact-Mass Spectrometry (GC-EI-MS). We developed a targeted methodology to analyze four of the known acids commonly found in consumer products by GC-EI-MS. Since the cannabinoid acids are prone to decarboxylate at elevated temperatures and revert to their neutral counterparts (ex. CBDA to CBD, THCA to THC), they are found formulated mainly into non-smokable consumer products. The elevated temperatures used in GC-EI-MS analysis necessitated the addition of a protective group to active –OH groups via derivatization. This methodology proved to be effective at overcoming decarboxylation and allowed the acids to survive the analysis.