The extractability of the Duquénois-positive cannabinoids

A comparison was made of the efficiency with which a number of organic solvents and water extract the Duquénois-positive fraction of cannabinoids from the dried plant Cannabis sativa L. It was determined that alcohols are generally more effective than most other solvents in removing these compounds. These findings are compared and discussed with the results of other investigators. Hot water was found to extract only about 0.002% of cannabinoids present (0.25 g plant material yields about 3–5 μg cannabinoids). The human toxicity level of cannabinoids is discussed with respect to reported severe pathological reactions after i.v. injection of the plant decoctions. It is suggested that secondary plant products other than the cannabinoids may be responsible for the severe physiological reactions.