Methods of preparing cannabinoids from plant material

Abstract

The invention relates to methods of preparing cannabinoids in substantially pure form starting from plant material. Also described are substantially pure preparations of various cannabinoids and cannabinoid acids, and also extracts enriched in cannabinoids and cannabinoid acids.

1 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A substantially pure preparation of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) having a chromatographic purity of greater than 90%, greater than 92% or greater than 94% by area normalisation of an HPLC profile. 
     
     
         36 . A preparation according to  claim 35  which is a pale yellow crystalline solid at room temperature. 
     
     
         37 . A preparation according to  claim 35  comprising 5% or less, 4.5% or less, 4% or less, 3.5% or less or 3% or less CBD (w/w). 
     
     
         38 . A preparation according to  claim 35  comprising less than 1%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.4%, less than 0.2% or less than 0.1% Δ 9  THCA (w/w). 
     
     
         39 . A preparation according to  claim 35  comprising less than 1%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.4%, less than 0.2% or less than 0.1% Δ 9  THC (w/w). 
     
     
         40 - 44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . A method for preparation of substantially pure cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) from  cannabis  plant material comprising:
 i) preparing an extract of the  cannabis  plant material with 0.1% v/v acetic acid in hexane,   ii) filtering the resultant extract and removing solvent from filtrate by rotary evaporation to form an extract enriched in CBDA,   iii) passing a solution of the resulting CBDA enriched extract through a column packed with Sephadex-LH20™, eluting with 2:1 chloroform/dichloromethane,   iv) collecting CBDA rich fractions eluted from the column and removing solvent by rotary evaporation,   v) re-dissolving the crude CBDA obtained in step iv) in methanol, removing insoluble residue by filtration and removing solvent from filtrate by rotary evaporation,   vi) re-dissolving the product of step v) in pentane, removing insoluble residue by filtration and removing solvent from filtrate by rotary evaporation to produce CBDA crystals.   
     
     
         46 - 91 . (canceled) 
     
     
         92 . A preparation according to  claim 37  comprising less than 1%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.4%, less than 0.2% or less than 0.1% Δ 9  THCA (w/w). 
     
     
         93 . A preparation according to  claim 37  comprising less than 1%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.4%, less than 0.2% or less than 0.1% Δ 9  THC (w/w). 
     
     
         94 . A preparation according to  claim 38  comprising less than 1%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.4%, less than 0.2% or less than 0.1% Δ 9  THC (w/w). 
     
     
         95 . A preparation according to  claim 92  comprising less than 1%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.4%, less than 0.2% or less than 0.1% Δ 9  THC (w/w). 
     
     
         96 . The method according to  claim 45 , wherein the substantially pure CBDA has a chromatographic purity of greater than 90%, greater than 92% or greater than 94% by area normalisation of an HPLC profile. 
     
     
         97 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein the substantially pure CBDA comprises 5% or less, 4.5% or less, 4% or less, 3.5% or less or 3% or less CBD (w/w). 
     
     
         98 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein the substantially pure CBDA comprises less than 1%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.4 less than 0.2% or less than 0.1% Δ 9  THCA (w/w). 
     
     
         99 . The method according to  claim 97 , wherein the substantially pure CBDA comprises less than 1%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.4 less than 0.2% or less than 0.1% Δ 9  THCA (w/w). 
     
     
         100 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein the substantially pure CBDA comprises less than 1%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.4%, less than 0.2% or less than 0.1% Δ 9  THC (w/w). 
     
     
         101 . The method according to  claim 97 , wherein the substantially pure CBDA comprises less than 1%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.4%, less than 0.2% or less than 0.1% Δ 9  THC (w/w). 
     
     
         102 . The method according to  claim 98 , wherein the substantially pure CBDA comprises less than 1%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.4%, less than 0.2% or less than 0.1% Δ 9  THC (w/w). 
     
     
         103 . The method according to  claim 99 , wherein the substantially pure CBDA comprises less than 1%, less than 0.8%, less than 0.6%, less than 0.4%, less than 0.2% or less than 0.1% Δ 9  THC (w/w).