THE ROLE OF CANNABIS FLOWER SAMPLING IN QUALITY CONTROL IN MEDICAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY: A REVIEW
Keywords:
sampling plan, representative samples, homogeneity, grinding, cannabis flowerAbstract
The purpose of cannabis flower sampling is to apply good practices for sampling cannabis that is strictly
regulated, for analysis in order to examine the quality of the product. Every company involved in the production of
cannabis has standard operating procedures for managing operations, sampling and testing. More than 500 bioactive
components have been identified in the cannabis plant. The distribution and concentration of these compounds also
depends on environmental conditions such as soil, water and light. A sample is a small part of something which
represents a larger whole or grouping. It is important to look at sampling from the grow through to the laboratory to
examine where the focus and perspective should be to ensure that cannabis sampling at every stage of the process
represents the whole we are trying to characterize. For the cannabis industry, the population or sampling frame could
be as large as an entire crop, just one variety within an operation, or as small as selected trimmed buds from specific
plants, varieties, or just areas of growth, depending on the purpose for the sampling. There are two basic types of
sampling: probability sampling (random) and nonprobability sampling. Probability sampling is when each unit of a
population or a whole has the same chance of being selected to make up a sample and the probability of being
selected can be calculated. Nonprobability sampling is when samples are collected in a process where some samples
are purposely selected and the selection processes do not give all the possible samples an equal chance of selection.
Dry plant material is not completely homogeneous. In sampling methods, sample size is very important, and
laboratories often have to prepare smaller samples to meet all testing requirements. The most common method for
obtaining a homogeneous sample is grinding. Grinding the samples increases the homogeneity, their surface area
and reduces the particle size, which improves the extraction efficiency. In the end, the development of sampling
plans-sample preparation methods that understand the importance of these concepts-will ultimately be the most
important step in achieving good analyses.
References
Bureau of Cannabis Control, “California Code of Regulations Title 3. Food and Agriculture Division 8. Cannabis Cultivation Chapter 1. Cannabis Cultivation Program” 2018
Bureau of Cannabis Control, “Text of Regulations California Code of Regulations Title 16 Division 42. Bureau of Cannabis Control Order of Adoption
CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Accessed March 1, 2019.
Ghodki, B.M., & Goswami, T.K. (2016). Powder Technology 299, Supplement C, pp. 168–77.
Ghodki, B.M., Srikanth, Tangirala, A.D., & Goswami, T.K. (2016). Moisture dependent thermal properties of cassia. Cogent Food & Agriculture 2(1), 1227110.
Murthy, C.T., & Bhattacharya, S. (2008). Cryogenic grinding of black pepper. J. Food Eng. 85(1), pp. 18–28.
Oregon Liquor Control Commission, “Sampling and Testing Metrc Guide,” October 30, 2018.
Potter, D.J., & Duncombe, P. (2012). The effect of electrical lighting power and irradiance on indoor-grown cannabis potency and yield. J. Forensic Sci. 57(3), pp. 618–22.
Sexton, M., & Ziskind, J. (2013). Sampling Cannabis for Analytical Purposes. Steep Hill Laboratory. 2013.
Shailendra, Y. Sharma, S.S., Rathore, K., Singh, P., Barnwal, R., Saxena, P., Upadhyaya, & Anwer, M.M. (2015). Effect of cryogenic grinding on volatile oil, oleoresin content and anti-oxidant properties of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) genotypes. Journal of Food Science and Technology; vol. 52, pp. 568–573. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-013-1004-0
Singh, K.K. & Goswami, T.K. (1999). Design of a cryogenic grinding system for spices. J. Food Eng. 39, pp. 359–68.
Smith, B.C. (2019). The Importance of Representative Sampling in Cannabis Analysis. Cannabis Science and Technology 2(1), pp. 14–19.
Sreenarayanan, V.V., & Mathew, S.M. (2007). Study on grinding of black pepper and effect of low feed temperature on product quality. J. Spices Aromatic Crops; 16(2), pp. 82–87.
Thiex, N., Novotny, L., Ramsey, C., Latimer, G., Torma, T., & Beine, R. (2008). Guidelines for Preparing Laboratory Samples. Association of American Feed Association Officials.
Zana, B., Papoutsis, I., Athanaselis, S., Nikolaou, P., Pazari, E., Spiliopoulou, C., & Vishal, G. (2012). Right From the Grow: A Look at Sampling and Sample Preparation Methods of Solid Cannabis for Analysis. Forensic Sci. Int. 222(1–3), pp. 40–46.
