Analysis of the California list of pesticides, mycotoxins, and cannabinoids in chocolate using liquid chromatography and low‐pressure gas chromatography‐based platforms

Cannabis legalization has led to the development of a variety of cannabis‐infused products with edibles being one of the most popular. The state of California has implemented comprehensive cannabis testing regulations requiring the analysis of cannabinoids (potency) and contaminants, such as pesticides and mycotoxins, in any type of cannabis good. In this work, we propose an analytical workflow for the quantification of the California list of pesticides and mycotoxins, as well as six cannabinoids, in chocolate, using 3 mL of solvent for the extraction. For the analysis of pesticides and mycotoxins, clean‐up steps employing a C18 solid‐phase extraction cartridge and dispersive solid‐phase extraction sorbents were implemented. Gas chromatography amenable pesticides were analyzed using low‐pressure gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry which allowed for a total method run of 12 min. Both liquid chromatography and gas chromatography instrumental methods had the same analysis time, ensuring satisfactory sample throughput. For the determination of cannabinoids, a dilution of the original organic extract collected for pesticides and mycotoxins analysis (and prior to any clean‐up step) was used. Excellent results in terms of analytical figures of merit were obtained for all target analytes.