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The Analytical Chemistry of Cannabis

Chemistry, Pharmacology, Manufacturing, Use, and Control of Medicinal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Dosage Formulations

  • 2nd Edition - November 1, 2026
  • Latest edition
  • Authors: Brian F. Thomas, Mahmoud A. ElSohly, Suman Chandra
  • Language: English

The Analytical Chemistry of Cannabis: Chemistry, Pharmacology, Manufacturing, Use, and Control of Medicinal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Dosage Formulations: Second Edition presents… Read more

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Description

The Analytical Chemistry of Cannabis: Chemistry, Pharmacology, Manufacturing, Use, and Control of Medicinal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Dosage Formulations: Second Edition presents advanced methods in analytical chemistry to address modern issues surrounding cannabis-based products. Since the first edition, the cannabis industry has rapidly expanded its array of recreational and medicinal products. This volume provides crucial methods to support the manufacturing, labeling, and distribution of safe, consistent products with known chemical content and performance. It offers updated information on the chemistry and pharmacology of cannabis and cannabinoids and aims to resolve industry challenges by fostering understanding among scientists, public health officials, and non-scientist stakeholders.

The book is valuable for professionals in analytical chemistry, pharmacology, medicine, and law enforcement, as well as for advanced academic courses in related fields.

Key features

  • Addresses current and emerging analytical chemistry methods, a unique approach among the literature on this topic
  • Presents information from a broad perspective on a range of issues in a single, concise volume
  • Employs language comprehensible to non-technical stakeholders as well as to specialists in analytical chemistry
  • Includes core concepts in botany, analytical chemistry, and dosage formulation, as well as quality control and assurance

Readership

Analytical chemists, pharmacologists, medical doctors, clinical trials specialists, public health officials, international food and drug monitoring agencies, forensics specialists, law enforcement officers. Students and teachers on advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses in pharmacy, pharmacology, experimental therapeutics, analytical chemistry, and forensics

Table of contents

1. Introduction to Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Cannabimimetics
Varieties of Cannabis sativa
Phytocannabinoids, Terpenes, and other Chemical Constituents of C. sativa
Endogenous Cannabinoid Receptor Ligands (Endocannabinoids)
Synthetic Cannabinoids and Cannabimimetics
History of Use, Oversight, and Regulation
References


2. The Endogenous Cannabinoid Signaling System
Enzymes for Synthesis and Degradation of Endocannabinoids
Cannabinoid Receptors and Signal Transduction
CB1 Receptor Distribution and Function
CB2 Receptor Distribution and Function
References


3. Botany of Cannabis Sativa
Botanical Description
Chemical Constituents and Phenotypes of C. sativa
Cannabis Biosynthesis
Selection of Elite Clones for Plant Propagation
Plant Growth and Cultivation
Indoor Cultivation
Outdoor Cultivation
Harvesting and Processing
Conclusion
References


4. Synthesis of Cannabinoids
In a Flask
In Cannabis
In Yeast and Bacteria
In Artificial Trichomes
References


5. Isolation of Cannabinoids and Manufacture of Cannabinoid-Containing Dosage Formulations
Medical and Recreational Cannabis Formulations
Batch Production Records and Documentation
Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls
Drug Master Files
References


6. Quality Control/Quality Assurance of Cannabis and Cannabinoid-Containing Products
Analytical Methods in Formulation Development and Manufacturing
Qualification of Raw Ingredients and In-Process Testing
Stability and Forced Degradation Studies
Exposure Assessment: Disintegration, Dissolution, and Determination of Smoke and Vapor Yields
Specifications and Label Claims
References


7. Bioanalytical Methods and Pharmacokinetic Assessment
Receptor Binding and Mechanisms of Action
Quantitative Analysis of Endocannabinoids
Quantitation of Phytocannabinoids in Biological Fluids
Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Methods
References


8. Post-Marketing Surveillance and Pharmacovigilance
Real-World Evidence and Targeted Clinical Investigations
Monitoring for Exposure Response Relationships, Adverse Events, and Consumer Complaints
Testing for Content and Labeling Accuracy
FDA Warning Letters
References


9. Identification and Quantitation of Synthetic Cannabimimetics
New Chemical Entities and Structural Scaffolds
Unknown Ingredients, Degradants, and Excipients
Potential Exposure to Products of Pyrolysis and Thermolysis
References


10. Research and Regulation of Cannabinoid Receptor Ligands
Dietary Supplements, Botanical Drug Substances and Products, and Controlled Substances
Implications to Consumers
Implications to Suppliers
Implications to Researchers
Implications to Regulators
References


11. The Future of Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Cannabimimetics
Medical or Recreational, Is That a Question?
Caveat Emptor - Lessons Learned from Commercial Marketing and Synthetics
References

Product details

  • Edition: 2
  • Latest edition
  • Published: November 1, 2026
  • Language: English

About the authors

BT

Brian F. Thomas

Brian F. Thomas earned his doctoral degree in 1992 from the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, USA. He then joined Research Triangle Institute and assumed the role of Principal Investigator on National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) research contracts titled “Purity Specifications, Storage and Distribution for Medications Development,” “Preparation and Distribution of Research Drug Products,” and “Production, Analysis and Distribution of Cannabis, Marijuana Cigarettes and Related Materials.” Serving in these roles, he coordinated the preparation and analysis of research drugs and substance abuse treatment medications at RTI for over 28 years. In addition to contract research, Dr. Thomas served as Principal Investigator on several NIDA R01 grant-funded research awards involving the characterization of cannabinoid ligand-receptor interactions and their relationship to in vivo pharmacological effects. In 2019, he joined Canopy Growth Corporation as Senior Director, Analytical Chemistry, Discovery Sciences, and Pharmaceutics, where he had management oversight of drug substance and product testing to support preclinical and clinical studies of cannabinoids in accordance with regulatory guidance. He also directed the integration of medicinal chemistry and in vitro pharmacological screening approaches to support development of consumer products and drive clinical drug discovery and therapeutic product development and commercialization efforts. He was subsequently recruited by The Cronos Group to serve as the Director of Analytical Sciences, with management oversight of scientists at production and research and development facilities in the United States, Canada, and Israel. He also engaged with the US Hemp Roundtable and other trade and scientific organizations to provide critical input to regulations and regulatory oversight by state, federal, and international regulatory authorities. He is currently providing pharmaceutical consulting services as the Principal Scientist at Empirical Pharmaceutical Services, LLC. He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of Bright Green Corporation and Biopharmaceutical Research Company, two of the cannabis companies selected by the US government to grow, manufacture, and sell, legally under federal and state laws, cannabis and cannabis-related products for research, pharmaceutical applications, and export. He has authored or co-authored over 120 peer-reviewed manuscripts and numerous book chapters, coauthored a book, and served as the Series Editor of Elsevier’s Emerging Issues in Analytical Chemistry.
Affiliations and expertise
Principal Scientist, Empirical Pharmaceutical Services, LLC, Manteo, NC, USA

ME

Mahmoud A. ElSohly

Mahmoud A. ElSohly is a Research Professor in National Center for Natural Products Research, Director of the Marijuana Project, and Professor of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery at the University of Mississippi. His Research has been continuously funded since 1981 by NIDA and other agencies. He holds more than 40 patents and has authored over 400 scholarly articles. He is also President and Laboratory Director of ElSohly Laboratories, Inc., a testing and drug development company in Oxford, Mississippi.
Affiliations and expertise
Research Professor, National Center for Natural Products Research and Professor of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, USA

SC

Suman Chandra

Dr. Suman Chandra is a Principal Scientist in the National Center for Natural Products Research, Co-Director of the Marijuana Project, and Research Professor of BioMolecular Sciences in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Mississippi. With more than 24 years of experience in cannabis research, he has published over 100 scholarly articles in the field.

Affiliations and expertise
Principal Scientist, The National Center for Natural Product Research and the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, USA