Optimization of the quantification of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabinol methodology by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Cannabinoids are terpenophenolic compounds obtained from the species Cannabis sativa (Cannabaceae), which is worldwide distributed across multiple varieties. The concentration of each cannabinoid in a cannabis plant is closely related to the variety. There are specimens in which higher yields of one specific cannabinoid are found than the remaining cannabinoids. International organizations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, recommend the application of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography as an analytical method for the quantification of cannabinoids. In the present work, the different variables that influence a chromatographic analysis such as temperature, sample pH, elution flow and wavelength have been evaluated and the chromatographic conditions for the analytical quantification of the metabolites cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol have been standardized.