Department Chair
Jinseok Heo
Date of Award
5-2025
Access Control
Campus-Only Access
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Chemistry
Advisor
Dr. Joonyeong Kim
Abstract
The increasing legalization of recreational cannabis across the United States has resulted in the rapid growth of cultivators, processors, and dispensaries offering a wide variety of cannabis products. In response, federal and state agencies have implemented policies that require rigorous laboratory testing of commercial cannabis. These tests typically include the quantification of specific cannabinoids, terpene profiling, and the detection of residual pesticides and heavy metals.
This research project focuses on the identification and quantification of terpenes in four commercially available cannabis flower strains using gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). To determine the most effective extraction solvent, three organic solvents – ethanol, acetonitrile, and ethyl acetate – were evaluated. Additionally, the effects of extraction time on terpene extraction were investigated by analyzing aliquots collected at five different time intervals, ranging from one hour to seven days after sample preparation. The results indicated that extracted terpenes and their concentrations varied among the different cannabis strains, with β-caryophyllene identified as one of the most prevalent terpenes, with concentrations ranging from 170.7 – 2674.6 μg/g. Among the solvents tested, ethyl acetate proved to be the most efficient, yielding terpene concentrations approximately 1.35 and 1.27 times higher than those extracted with ethanol and acetonitrile, respectively. Furthermore, terpene concentrations declined over time, with an approximate 1.5-fold decrease observed between 48 hours and seven days of extraction, regardless of the solvent used. This was presumably due to the degradation of extracted terpenes over the time.
Recommended Citation
Poleto, Grace C., "Comparisons of Terpenes in Cannabis Flowers via Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry" (2025). Forensic Science Master's Projects. 16.
https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/forensic_science_projects/16
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