Session: Undergraduate Research Posters: Analytical Chemistry:

Hemp-derived medicinal cannabidiol (CBD) products are an expanding and largely unregulated industry within the US. The US hemp derived CBD market was valued at $390 million in 2018. With the passage of the 2018 US farm bill, Cannabis sativa, more commonly known as hemp, was granted a federal exemption from the Controlled Substances Act. The industry is expected to triple and become a $1.3-billion industry by 2022. Cannabis sativa is distinctly different from Cannabis indica (marijuana), producing only 0.03% of the psycho-active component Δ-9tetrahydrocannbinol (Δ-9THC) It is still considered a Schedule I Drug under federal statute and is not recognized as possessing any medicinal properties. This exemption was primarily written for the industrial use of hemp and not medicinal uses. This regulation is then left to individual states and many do not require the stringent testing most drug products or supplements undergo. Furthermore, previous research has shown Cannabis sativa to be a hyper-accumulator of metals such arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), silver (Ag), and barium (Ba) from its growing environment, which can then be further concentrated during processing into consumer products. In this research, CBD lotions and creams were purchased from local hemp stores. The products were digested for metals analysis by ICP-OES. The results of the analysis will be presented along with a comparison to similar products analyzed in the literature.

Robert B. Donaldson

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Appearances