The Effect of Plant Age on Cannabinoids Content of Cannabis Sativa Grown in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Abstract

The long-standing criminalization of cannabis has greatly limited research into its properties and uses. Recently, advancements in cannabis research have led to global reforms that allow for various applications, including recreational, medicinal, and industrial uses. In Ghana, cultivation of cannabis with less than 0.3% Δ9-THC on dry weight basis has been legalized for industrial and medicinal purposes. As a result, analysing locally grown cannabis has become essential to identify and quantify its constituents in accordance with the law. This study aims to explore how plant growth affects the cannabinol content of local cannabis cultivars in Ghana. Cannabis samples cultivated from seeds obtained with permit from Narcotics Control Commission were assessed to determine their usefulness as local cultivars for industrial hemp. For each sample, the THC, CBD and CBN concentrations were determined monthly for four (4) months at the Ghana Standards Authority using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. The results indicate that cannabinoid concentrations vary significantly, primarily due to the age of the plant. THC content was between the ranges of 0.03% - 0.65% from month 1 to month 4 respectively. THC content increases with the age of the plant, but the trend for the concentration of CBD was generally linear. The concentration of CBD between the first month and fourth month were 0.056% and 0.069% respectively. The CBN concentration was negligible at the outset, but exhibited a marked increase to 0.043% by the second month. This upward trend continued, with concentrations reaching 0.051% and 0.061% in the third and fourth months, respectively. The results indicate that cannabinoid concentrations vary significantly, primarily due to the age of the plant. While the THC content increases with the age of the plant, similar increases were not observed for other cannabinoids like CBD and CBN.