Cannabis HPLC Analyzer Accuracy
We take the accuracy of our cannabis HPLC analyzer, validation of test methods, and sampling protocols extremely seriously. With our instrument, you will be operating like a certified professional lab. In fact, you can see a comparison of our results to other ca. 140 labs in North America in a cannabis laboratory quality assurance comparison study here.
Detection limit of most cannabinoids is 0.03ug/mL (30ppb, 0.000003%)
NRC Hemp – Certified Reference Material Study
| Measured Cannabinoids | CTInstruments HPLC | Mean value of 140 labs across North America | National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| d9-THC | 0.0467% | 0.0372% | 0.0415% |
| THCA | 0.1067% | 0.0911% | 0.109% |
| CBD | 0.5367% | 0.517% | 0.584% |
| CBDA | 1.607% | 1.330% | 1.560% |
| Total THC | 0.1433% | 0.111% | 0.137% |
| Total CBD | 1.947% | 1.700% | 1.970% |
Lower Limit of Quantification (LLOQ)
The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) is the lowest amount of a cannabinoid in a sample that can be quantitatively determined with suitable precision and accuracy using the corresponding method and dilution rates. All values below this threshold are reported as less than LLOQ.
| Compound | Plant LLOQ (%,w/w) | High % Concentrate LLOQ (%,w/w) |
|---|---|---|
| Δ9-THC | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| Δ8-THC | 0.03 | 0.06 |
| Δ9-THCA | 0.03 | 0.06 |
| THCV | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| CBD | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| CBDA | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| CBDV | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| CBG | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| CBGA | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| CBN | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| CBC | 0.03 | 0.05 |
Reproducibility of results
Below are results of measuring a typical hemp sample, followed by an image of stacked 3 consecutive measurements. There are two observations from this measurement:
- The retention times are consistent and repeatable, giving the confidence in the ability to correctly identify the correct cannabinoids.
- The measured concentrations are very repeatable as indicated by height/area of each peak. The calculated relative standard deviation (RSD) in this case ranges from 1.19% to 1.70%, while for cannabinoids with very low concentrations manifested as very small peaks (in this sample CBN, d9-THC, and d9-THCA) the calculated RSD ranges from 4.62% to 5.63%. In case of need to further refine the latter 3 compounds and improve both accuracy and RSD, the sample would simply be less diluted resulting in higher peaks for these 3 compounds.
Cannabis Testing Simplified CBD sample
