Cannabis solvent extracts comprise of a variety of products formed through the isolation and concentration of cannabinoids from either marijuana or hemp using organic solvents. Marijuana and hemp represent two broad classes of Cannabis sativa plants and are distinguished based on the concentration of the psychoactive cannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). A common marijuana solvent extract is butane hash oil, which uses butane to extract and concentrate Δ9-THC and its naturally occurring acidic form, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9-THCA). Hemp solvent extracts, however, typically isolate cannabidiol (CBD). This work aimed to comprehensively characterize marijuana and hemp-derived solvent extracts using optical and chemical techniques. Optical analysis via polarized light microscopy (PLM) was performed to characterize crystalline materials present in both subsets of extracts and indicated the possibility to differentiate marijuana and hemp extracts based on optical differences. Chemical characterization through infrared spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction provided the identification of the crystalline component (THCA for marijuana extracts and CBD for hemp extracts) and supported the PLM findings. Additionally, the derivatization procedure (focusing on reaction temperature, reaction time, and solvent ratio) for THCA using a common silylation reagent was optimized using full factorial experimental design to allow for the analysis of the solvent extracts by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
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