To start off the day, Sean showed us how he prepared a sample of viscous, almost pure CBD oil (about 98% CBD and 2% THC) for analysis with the HPLC and tandem mass spectrometry. The THC percentage was higher than permissible by the state law; he diluted the sample by pipetting in isopropanol. Then, we shadowed Ashleigh as she set up samples of urine for confirmation testing with HPLC; she included small volumes of the samples, a clean control, and two samples containing all of the substances being tested for. After lunch, we helped Stephanie label bottles of hemp oil in Integrated Hemp Solutions and continued to shadow Sean and Ashleigh.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to intern in such a relaxed yet intriguing environment; I’m grateful to have heard about the scientists’ personal experiences and seen some applications of the knowledge I gained in classes and clubs at school though learning about the lab and hemp aspects of the business.
