Cannabis—VIII Pyrolysis of Cannabidiol. Structure elucidation of the main pyrolytic product

GLC analysis of the products obtained by pyrolysis of cannabidiol in air at 700° revealed the formation of several components, which are not only the result of a mere cracking process. A peak with a retention time corresponding to the one of Δ1(2)tetrahydrocannabinol has been analysed by mass spectrometry. Next to at least two components with a molecular weight of 314 (C21H30O2), possibly including a small amount of Δ1(2)tetrahydrocannabinol, the major component was shown to have the molecular formula C21H30O3. The structure of this oxidation product of cannabidiol has been established as the decarboxylated product of the naturally occurring cannabiëlsoic acid A by the identity of its mass spectrometrical fragmentation pattern to that of one of the two decarboxylated cannabiëlsoic acid A C1-stereoisomers, obtained by photochemical oxidation of cannabidiolic acid.