Cannabinoid Profiling
Cannabinoid profiling informs patients about the concentration of active cannabinoids in their medicine. Researchers have identified over 70 cannabinoid compounds, many of which possess distinct medicinal benefits. This table provides an overview of the most common cannabinoid compounds and their pharmacological effects. You can see that, while THC is the most well-known cannabinoid, it is only responsible for a fraction of cannabis’ medicinal benefits. For this reason, we also test for CBD, CBDA, CBN, and THCA.
Why does cannabinoid profiling matter?
As is the case with any pharmaceutical product, the active ingredients in cannabis should be clearly labeled. Cannabinoid profiling allows doctors to determine accurate dosage, ensures that providers can verify the quality of their products, and helps patients to select the right treatment for their symptoms. Researchers continue to make groundbreaking discoveries about the medical benefits of cannabinoids, but these revelations can only be harnessed when consumers, providers, and healthcare practitioners possess reliable data on the contents of their medicine.
How do we measure potency?
At SC Labs, we utilize high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC/DAD) to provide full cannabinoid profiling. HPLC works by extracting a sample into a solvent, isolating the target compound, and employing a UV detector to measure concentration. Unlike gas chromatography, liquid chromatography does not heat the sample. HPLC is therefore still reliable when measuring heat sensitive compounds such as THCA and CBDA.
Information Provided by SC Labs