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Chemical Profiling of Cannabis Extracts and Edibles: Tracing Extraction Methods

Information page

Cannabis- and THC-containing extracts and preparations, such as liquids, oils, and edibles (e.g. brownies or candy), have become increasingly common in recent years. Classifying an edible as a Schedule I or Schedule II preparation is currently difficult, because the origin of THC and related substances cannot yet be reliably established and plant particles are hard to recover from complex matrices such as baked goods or oils.

The Closed Coffeeshop Chain Experiment (Experiment Gesloten Coffeeshopketen, EGC) adds a further complication: it permits only edibles made with concentrates obtained through solvent-free methods. However, current methodology is insufficient to determine the extraction method from a concentrate's chemical composition, especially once it has been processed into an edible or oil.

The police need a better understanding of the cannabis market and clearer regulations, and forensic experts of Team Illicit Drugs at the NFI regularly face the same uncertainty over scheduling. Expanding this knowledge base would benefit the entire criminal justice chain by enabling more accurate and defensible legal judgments about these products.

Objective

To chemically profile cannabis extracts and edibles using i.e. High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS), with the ultimate goal of investigating whether specific chemical (bio-)markers of particular cannabis extraction methods can be identified and traced back through both the extracts themselves and the edibles made from them.

Based on this knowledge, cannabis extracts could be more reliably linked to a specific extraction method, enabling more accurate legal assessments. These findings could be directly implemented in forensic casework. Based on the acquired knowledge, Team Illicit Drugs will also be able to conduct further research into the origin and legal status of cannabis extracts.

Research strategy

Phase 1: Extraction and chemical profiling

  • preparing extracts of cannabis plant material by yourself
  • in-depth chemical profiling of the extracts by LC-Orbitrap (molecular networking, applying chemometric methods e.g.)
  • additionally, LC-UV and/or HS-GC-MS for quantification of cannabinoids and residual solvent analysis
  • if there is enough time, statistical evaluation of the profiling data to identify and compare unique chemical characteristics associated with each extraction method, and to determine whether extraction-method-specific markers can be identified.

Phase 2: Follow-up Research (scope dependent on Phase 1 results)

Depending on the outcomes of Phase 1, one or more of the following directions may be pursued:

  • Applying a wider range of extraction methods
  • Investigating the effects of edible processing methods on chemical composition and presence of botanical elements, including: 
    • Melting flower/hash/extract in butter, heating and mixing into a baking mix
    • Directly mixing flower/hash/extract into a baking mix
    • Mixing cannabis extract into a heated gelatin mixture before molding (gummies) versus applying extract onto gummies by spraying

Estimated planning

Literature research: cannabis extraction methods, EGC regulations, existing analytical/forensic profiling approaches. Finalize research plan and analytical methods.

Sample collection/preparation. Set-up of LC-UV, HS-GC-MS and LC-Orbitrap methods.

Preparation of extracts using different (solvent-free and solvent-based) extraction methods for comparison. Start of LC-UV and HS-GC-MS measurements.

LC-Orbitrap profiling of extracts. Data collection and initial data mining/organization of the analytical dataset. Exploring possibilities of molecular networks.

Chemometric analysis (e.g. PCA, clustering) to identify extraction-method-specific markers.

Phase 2 (based on M5 outcomes): additional extraction methods, additional strains, or variation of extraction conditions.

Processing of extracts into edibles using different preparation methods; analysis of the resulting chemical changes. Further statistical/exploratory analysis (e.g. exploring machine learning or additional chemometric techniques) if time and data permit.

Data consolidation, final statistical validation, reporting and formulation of recommendations for forensic/legal classification.

Practical details

Start date

As soon as possible

Duration

6 to 8 months

Team

Verdovende Middelen (Illicit Drugs)

Level of education

MSc in Chemistry/Analytical Chemistry

Contact

Send your CV and cover letter to:
i.groeneveld@nfi.nl