Actually, I have thought about it, but I read inconsistent information on whether it is useful for THC extractions or not. I understand that it's not meant to be used as a primary qualitative method as GLC but I was hoping that it would be able to tell how good or bad my extractions are relative to each other. That would help me a lot in my learning process. If you recomend TLC I am defenitely going to try it.
I googled TLC and found a few kits that was marketed as "THC test kit", I found them quite expensive. Would you advice me to buy one of the kits or should I opt for something else, like separate parts if I can find it? I am suspicious when something that looks very cheap is delivered in a expensive case like most of the kits.
The issues are accuracy and capabilities.
Drawing on Occum's Razor, if the TLC kit were the answer to a maiden's prayer, they would be the coin of the realm, vis a vis GC/MS/HPLC. Even within the professional analytical lab community, there is currently much turmoil and legislation being enacted to standardize them.
A GC gives a general idea of what is going on, and a MS following it breaks its peaks down even farther, but they require standards of what they are searching for in their memories to compare the peaks and secondary peak combinations, and since it uses heat to vaporize the sample, it is incapable of discerning carboxylic acids.
That is where the HPLC comes in, which when followed with a MS, doesn't destroy the carboxylic acids with heat, so you can see both the carboxylic acid and phenolic diterpenoid forms of the cannabinoids.
Sooo, a bit of circumlocution to bring us to the point, which is before plunking down any money, I recommend that you get in writing, the kits accuracy and what it measures.
Besides cannabinoids, what solvents and pesticides does it test for??
Another good question is who is offering it? You are currently attempting to vet their product, but have you vetted them?
