Marihuana Components: Effects of Smoking on Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol

Cigarettes impregnated with various preparations of Δ 9 -tetrahydro-cannabinol (Δ 9 -THC) and cannabidiol were artificially smoked, and the smoke was analyzed by means of gas chromatography and a combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Retention of the two test substances in smoke was 21 to 23 percent of the starting amount. The ratio of Δ 9 -THC to cannabidiol in smoke is different from that in starting material. It is suggested that these differences are the result of partial cyclization of the cannabidiol to Δ 9 -THC. An increase in the percentage of cannabinol in smoke is the result of a partial dehydrogenation drogenation of Δ 9 -THC or cannabidiol. No evidence for the isomerization of Δ 9 -THC to Δ 8 -THC or for the formation of new pyrolyzed products was found.