Analytical instrumentation specialist, Shimadzu, is reaching out to a fast-growing market with its Cannabis Analyzer. The latest company to benefit from this HPLC platform is UK-based company British Cannabis, which manufactures cannabis oils for use as food supplements.
Precise quantitation of cannabinoids
Cannabis food supplements are currently unregulated, meaning that many companies in this emerging field have little or no quality assurance, and that the constituents of their products are shrouded in uncertainty. However, by using Shimadzu’s Cannabis Analyzer to generate reliable data about the constituents of its cannabis oils, British Cannabis has been able to meet the requirements of pharmacists.
Having this reliable evidence available is a key differentiator for the company. The Head of Scientific Research & Development at British Cannabis said: “Unlike our competitors, we can be confident that we comply with guidelines about Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and that the cannabidiol content of our oils is exactly what we say on the label. Being able to rely on our own results generated in-house using validated analytical procedures gives us the confidence to go out into the marketplace and talk about the quality of our products. Other suppliers simply can’t do that”.
High performance
In terms of performance, the Cannabis Analyzer provides the high degree of separation needed to avoid peak overlap, while the detection range allows quantitation of cannabidiol in diluted samples across the whole calibration range from 0.5 ppm to 90.9 ppm.
The equipment can also easily cope with the sample throughput. The Head of Scientific Research & Development says that on a typical day, they’ll run about 10 to 15 samples, meaning that there’s plenty of room to expand their operation. “We’ve no doubt that our Shimadzu instrument will be helping us for some time to come, as our business gets bigger”, he said.
Outstanding service
Shimadzu claims that one advantage of partnering with the company stands out—the quality of the service. A British Cannabis spokesperson said: “Working with the Shimadzu team has been fantastic! Right from the outset, they’ve been reliable, efficient and trustworthy, and any problems we confront are dealt with in a timely manner and with a friendly attitude”.
They continued: “It’s fantastic to have access to such a supportive team, there’s little doubt that Shimadzu has played a big role in helping us to take the next step as a business”.
A complete package
Dr Raymond Wong, LC Product Manager at Shimadzu UK, said of the Cannabis Analyzer: “When we launched the system back in 2017, it was precisely because of our awareness that the industry needed a complete package of hardware, software, consumables and advice for analyzing cannabis products”.
Dr Wong added: “It’s therefore really rewarding that British Cannabis are so pleased with their system. We’re particularly pleased to hear that they value the helpfulness and responsiveness of our staff, from sales advisors to service engineers. After all, that’s why customers love working with us”.
