You can use any commercial HPLC column. Our columns are standard C18, 150x4.6mm with 5um particles. You can use columns with different specifications, such as 150x4.6mm with 2.7um particles – this will double the pressure if the same flow rate is used. Our HPLC is rated to 6,300 psi (note that most commercial columns are rated to 6,000 psi; unless designed for UHPLC system). You can use other types of columns than C18, such as C8, or normal phase. Our HPLC operates the same way as other HPLCs, with some limitations.
We recommend using our columns as with columns from other manufacturers, you would have to re-do all the calibration curves and standardize the processes for a different column. Every manufacturer uses a different type of packing material (although still C18, they have different terminal chemistries that interact with cannabinoids in a different way, changing retention times and signal response). Developing these from scratch costs thousands of dollars and months of work as besides figuring out the correct conditions (while sometimes reported in the literature), you need to test many real-life samples to find potential negative interactions and problems. Unfortunately, developing a robust, validated method is not as simple as creating calibration curves from commercial standards. By purchasing our system and sticking to our columns, you have everything already developed and validated.
Additionally, our columns cost the same as columns from other manufacturers. We test each column individually with cannabinoids before shipping to confirm the accuracy and retention times. Even the same columns have variations in retention times due to the packing process.