## 1 Introduction  
_Cannabis sativa_ L. is a cannabinoid-rich herbaceous plant with various pharmacological activities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, statistical studies revealed that cannabis use is increased in many countries, including Italy. This alleged increase in cannabis use is due to several factors, including stress and anxiety, social isolation, and loneliness exacerbated by the pandemic [1]. Recently, the interest in _Cannabis sativa_ L. increased mostly due to the latest Italian legislation [2] and European regulations, which legalized the sale of light cannabis in physical stores and online. Such legislative framework classified _Cannabis sativa_ L. into two types as a function of the content of \(\Delta^{9}\)-tetrahydrocannabinol (\(\Delta^{9}\)-THC or THC). In particular, fiber-type plants of _Cannabis sativa_ L., also called \"hemp\" or \"light cannabis\", are characterized by a low amount of THC (<0.2% \(w/w\)), with a tolerance of up to 0.6%. Conversely, when the THC content exceeds 0.6% \(w/w\), _Cannabis sativa_ L is known as \"medicinal\" or \"marijuana \" and is considered a drug-type. Generally, fiber-type plantsare used for industrial purposes and less for pharmaceuticals, where drug-type plants are more commonly used [3; 4; 5]. As a result of the large variety and complexity of phytocannabinoids, the classification of cannabis cultivars is a fundamental requirement for the quality control of medical cannabis. Alongside THC, cannabinoid (CBD) became a crucial compound for confirming cannabis chemotypes, depending on the dry weight ratio of THC/CBD in the plant: chemotype I, including marijuana, has THC/CBD \(>\) 1, chemotype II has THC \(\approx\) CBD, and chemotype III, including hemp, has THC/CBD \(<<\) 1, with low THC content [6; 7]. However, while the THC content in cannabis light must be within 0.6%, it was shown that CBD levels vary greatly, (from 2% \(w/w\) up to 40% \(w/w\)), without legal indication on the authorized percentage content [8]. THC and CBD levels are influenced also by the presence of the corresponding non-psychoactive carboxylated forms, \(\Delta^{9}\)-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), immediately converted to THC and CBD under the influence of high temperature leading to an intensification of pharmacological effects. The level of decarboxylated substances can vary with the type of plant tissue, variety, age, growing conditions, harvest period, and conditions of storage. For this reason, also the determination of the cannabinoid acidic precursors, even if not mandatory for cannabis products, should be performed, in order to not underestimate the total THC and CBD contents, which are used for the assessing of the legal purposes, as well as the health risks/benefits [9; 10]. Liquid chromatography coupled with UV and/or mass spectrometry is an analytical technique that was shown to effectively distinguish and individually measure \(\Delta^{9}\)-THC, CBD, and their acid precursors, \(\Delta^{9}\)-THCA and CBDA [11; 12]. In addition to chemotype definition, THC/CBD ratio is becoming important also as a marker to categorize _Cannabis sativa_ for medicinal purposes, and research is underway to better understand the therapeutic properties of the various formulations and dosages. Although both THC and CBD interact with the body's endocannabinoid system, i.e., receptor types 1 (CB1) and 2 (CB2) [13], they have very different effects [14]. Several studies confirmed the efficacy of THC for treatment of glaucoma, spastic disorders, acute and chronic pain, prevention of nausea and vomiting from cancer medicines, as well as cancer treatment through cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis, inhibition of neovascularization, migration, adhesion, invasion, and metastasis [3; 4; 5; 15]. In spite of the numerous positive results of THC and related cannabinoids in the study of cancer, their use as medicinal drugs is limited because of their psychotropic side effects.