The Potency Determination of 15 Cannabinoids using the Cannabis Analyzer for Potency

Significance of the Topic

The cannabis testing market is projected to reach around USD 2 billion by 2025, with chromatography techniques accounting for a significant share of this growth. Potency testing requires robust methods to quantify over 100 cannabinoids across varied sample matrices, driving demand for accurate, reliable analytical workflows.

Objectives and Overview

This study aimed to optimize a quantitative HPLC-UV method for simultaneous determination of 15 major cannabinoids using the Shimadzu Cannabis Analyzer for Potency™. The goal was to enhance precision, accuracy, and throughput in potency testing.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Sample Preparation:

• A 100 µg/mL standard mix was prepared by combining 11 certified reference materials with four additional Cerilliant standards.
• Six-point calibration (0.5–100 µg/mL) and three QC levels (2.5, 25, 75 µg/mL) were established, each injected in seven replicates.

Instrumentation:

• Shimadzu Cannabis Analyzer for Potency™ integrated HPLC with UV-Vis detector set at 220 nm.
• NexLeaf CBX column (4.6×150 mm, 2.7 µm) with guard cartridge.
• Mobile phase A: 0.085% phosphoric acid in water; B: 0.085% phosphoric acid in acetonitrile; gradient from 70% to 95% B over 10 min.
• Flow rate 1.6 mL/min, column oven at 35 °C, injection volume 5 µL.

Main Results and Discussion

Calibration and Linearity:

• All cannabinoids exhibited linear responses with correlation coefficients R²≥0.999 using 1/C weighting.
• Accuracy ranged from 98% to 108%; RSD for calibration and QC injections remained below 2.7%.

Sensitivity and Detection Limits:

• LOD values spanned 0.10–0.23 µg/mL and LOQ values 0.31–0.70 µg/mL for most analytes, based on a signal-to-noise criterion of 3:1 (LOD) and 10:1 (LOQ).

Repeatability:

• Overlay of seven injections at 100 µg/mL demonstrated excellent retention time and peak area consistency, confirming method robustness.

Benefits and Practical Applications

This method delivers high sensitivity, accuracy, and repeatability on a rapid HPLC-UV platform, making it suitable for routine potency testing in quality control laboratories, product development, and regulatory compliance across the cannabis industry.

Future Trends and Applications

Emerging opportunities include expanding the cannabinoid panel to minor constituents, integrating mass spectrometric detection for enhanced specificity, automating sample preparation, and adopting high-throughput workflows to accommodate escalating sample volumes and evolving regulatory requirements.

Conclusion

The optimized chromatographic method using the Shimadzu Cannabis Analyzer for Potency™ effectively quantifies 15 key cannabinoids with robust performance metrics in accuracy, precision, and sensitivity. It supports the growing analytical needs of the cannabis and hemp industries for reliable potency analysis.

Reference

1. Global Market Insights, Inc. (2019). Cannabis Testing Market to surpass USD 2 Billion by 2025.
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3. Shrivastava V, Gupta VB. Methods for the determination of limit of detection and limit of quantitation of analytical methods. Review Article. 2011;2(1):21-25.