In Pursuit of Optimal Quality: Cultivar-Specific Drying Approaches for Medicinal Cannabis

Matan Birenboim; Nimrod Brikenstein; Danielle Duanis-Assaf; Dalia Maurer; Daniel Chalupowicz; David Kenigsbuch; Jakob A Shimshoni

doi:10.3390/plants13071049

In Pursuit of Optimal Quality: Cultivar-Specific Drying Approaches for Medicinal Cannabis

Plants (Basel). 2024 Apr 8;13(7):1049. doi: 10.3390/plants13071049.

Authors

Matan Birenboim^{1

2}, Nimrod Brikenstein^{1

2}, Danielle Duanis-Assaf¹, Dalia Maurer³, Daniel Chalupowicz³, David Kenigsbuch³, Jakob A Shimshoni¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Science, Institute for Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, P.O. Box 15159, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel.
² Department of Plant Science, The Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
³ Department of Postharvest Science, Institute for Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel.

Abstract

A limited number of studies have examined how drying conditions affect the cannabinoid and terpene content in cannabis inflorescences. In the present study, we evaluated the potential of controlled atmosphere drying chambers for drying medicinal cannabis inflorescence. Controlled atmosphere drying chambers were found to reduce the drying and curing time by at least 60% compared to traditional drying methods, while preserving the volatile terpene content. On the other hand, inflorescences subjected to traditional drying were highly infested by Alternaria alternata and also revealed low infestation of Botrytis cinerea. In the high-THC chemovar ("240"), controlled N₂ and atm drying conditions preserved THCA concentration as compared to the initial time point (t₀). On the other hand, in the hybrid chemovar ("Gen12") all of the employed drying conditions preserved THCA and CBDA content. The optimal drying conditions for preserving monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in both chemovars were C5O5 (5% CO₂, 5% O₂, and 90% N₂) and pure N₂, respectively. The results of this study suggest that each chemovar may require tailored drying conditions in order to preserve specific terpenes and cannabinoids. Controlled atmosphere drying chambers could offer a cost-effective, fast, and efficient drying method for preserving cannabinoids and terpenes during the drying process while reducing the risk of mold growth.

Keywords: Cannabis sativa L.; atmospheric drying; cannabinoids; controlled drying; terpenes.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture grant number 421046020. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection, and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.