Photochemistry of Cannabidiol (CBD) Revised. A Combined Preparative and Spectrometric Investigation

Cannabis is a plant with an astonishing ability to biosynthesize cannabinoids, and more than 100 molecules belonging to this class have been isolated. Among them in recent years cannabidiol (CBD) has received the interest of pharmacology as the major nonpsychotropic cannabinoid with many potential clinical applications. Although the reactivity of CBD has been widely investigated, only little attention has been given to the possible photodegradation of this cannabinoid, and the data available in the literature are outdated and, in some cases, conflicting. The aim of the present work is providing a characterization of the photochemical behavior of CBD in organic solvents, through a detailed GC-MS analyses, isolation, and NMR characterization of the photoproducts obtained.

Automated summary

This study aims to characterize the photochemical behavior of CBD in organic solvents through detailed GC-MS analysis, isolation, and NMR characterization of the photoproducts. Despite extensive research on the reactivity of CBD, little attention has been given to its possible photodegradation, with outdated and conflicting data available in the literature.