Analysis of the cannabinoid content of strains available in the New Jersey Medicinal Marijuana Program

Abstract

Background: The six licensed operators in the New Jersey Medicinal Marijuana Program submit their strains of cannabis flower to a single laboratory, administered by the state's Department of Health, for testing. The results of these tests are made available by the State on a web page for patients, allowing a study of the range of cannabinoid profiles available in the program. Methods: Reports on cannabinoid concentrations were collected from 245 test reports released by the State lab; the relative quantities of cannabinoids on all strains was evaluated, as well as trends in the strain types being tested. Results: The collection of strain profiles available in New Jersey conforms to results of other population studies, revealing three broad classification of strains based on their relative concentration of cannabinoids: the overwhelmingly majority of strains contain only trace (< 1%) CBDA but high THCA concentration; a handful are balanced in CBDA and THCA content; and a very few strains have a high concentration of CBDA and minimal THCA (< 1%). In those strains that contain more than 1% of both THCA and CBDA, those two substances are present in comparable quantities. The concentration of CBGA is higher in those strains that have the highest THCA concentration, though there are strains that have high THCA (> 20%) with CBGA concentrations at the low end of the range (< 0.5%). In the high CBD strains, the concentration of CBGA is positively correlated with CBDA, but the CBGA concentrations are several fold less in CBD-dominant strains than in THC-dominant strains: the highest measured CBGA concentration in a CBD-dominant strain is only at the average value of CBGA concentration in THC-dominant strains. The most-recently tested strains are overwhelmingly of the THC-dominant type. Conclusions: Though some high CBD strains are available in the New Jersey medical marijuana program, the vast majority of strains that have been tested are the THC-dominant strains which contain less than 1% CBDA. The data available from the State does not include any information on how well the different strains sell, but it can be inferred from the trend in strain types tested that the demand in the New Jersey medical market is for THC-dominant strains.