POSTER: Chemical Profiling of Cannabis Infused Products using Solvent-Free Headspace Extraction and Thermal Desorption GC-MS

Authors: Sage J. B. Dunham, Victoria L. Noad, Bailey S. Arakelian & Daniel B. Cardin

• A solvent free headspace extraction approach – vacuum assisted sorbent extraction (VASE) – is applied in combination with thermal desorption (TD)-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to examine the chemical composition of cannabis and cannabis infused consumer products. 
• Application of VASE for qualitative profiling of cannabis infused edibles (e.g., gummies, chocolates) reveals  the presence of residual solvents, flavor additives (e.g., vanillin), and active cannabinoids.
• VASE  profiling of cannabis flower demonstrates strain-to-strain differences in monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and cannabinoids.
• Cannabinoids are efficiently extracted only when both heat and vacuum are applied.