ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the most important and most recent analytical methods applied to the determination of bioactive substances in cannabis products intended for human and animal consumption, both for medical and recreational purposes. Within this frame, methods are grouped based on the respective target analyte classes: psychoactive cannabinoids, non-psychoactive cannabinoids, other specific metabolites and contaminants. In the psychoactive cannabinoid class, due to the wealth of available methodologies, these are further subdivided by a wide analytical principle: liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS, LC-MS/MS), (ultra-)high-performance liquid chromatography ((U)HPLC) with different detection means, gas chromatography (GC) and other methods. Specific attention is given to analyte extraction and sample pre-treatment procedures, highlighting their specific principles and possible fields of application.
