Thermo Fisher Scientific UHPLC/MS Identifies Cannabinoids in Baked Goods with Minimal Sample Preparation

Marijuana is the most common illegal drug in the U.S. and Europe and U.S. law enforcement agencies seize two million pounds of cannabis in various forms each year. The evidence is first screened for marijuana using simple chemical tests, such as the Duqenois-Levine test and then gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is used to positively identify cannabinoids. This conventional technique works well for leaf marijuana, hashish and residue collected from smoking paraphernalia. UHPLC/MS however is an alternate method for identifying marijuana cannabinoids in complex food matrices such as baked goods.

Incorporating the Thermo Scientific Accela UHPLC system, the Thermo Scientific MSQ Plus Mass Detector, a single quadrupole mass spectrometer and Thermo Scientific Xcalibur software, the system detected marijuana cannabinoids, ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinol and cannabidiol in the baked goods, a complex food matrix. The team delivered results with simpler sample preparation, no derivatization and less instrument clean-up time.

The team extracted and separated cannabinoids on a Thermo Scientific Hypersil GOLD PFP column, and it showed that the cannabinoid standards eluted with good resolution at 4.1 minutes (cannabidiol), 5.1 minutes (THC) and 5.4 minutes (cannabinol). The extracts from a brownie and a cookie eluted at 5.1 minutes, testing positive for THC, demonstrating how little sample preparation is required for this method. It is simpler, faster and requires less sample material than traditional GC/MS techniques. Preparation time of ten minutes and a total run time of eight minutes shows the efficiency of UHPLC/MS detection.

The AccelaT is a high speed chromatographic system that provides fast and efficient chromatographic separations over a range of flow rates and pressures. It features optimized system delay volumes for fast separations and flexible sample format. The innovative quaternary pump is capable of conventional and ultra-high pressures while the Thermo Scientific LightPipe technology provides maximum sensitivity and resolution.