Solving Residual Solvent Analysis

Most cannabis concentrates are extracted using a solvent such as supercritical CO2, butane, hydrocarbon (hexane), propane, water (ethanol) or alcohol. These solvents are used to extract out the cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant material. In some cases, impurities from the solvent remain in the final cannabis product. These are called residual solvents and understanding their concentration is a critical element of cannabis testing. The method of choice for quantifying residual solvents is headspace gas chromatography, a simple technique that allows only the volatile component of the cannabis sample to be measured. Our preinstalled method for GC/MS-HS technology leverages the identical instrumentation required for terpene analysis, allowing the streamlined lab to run both tests simultaneously.