Determining the Moisture Content of Medical Marijuana

The Cannabis plant has a history of medicinal use dating back thousands of years in many cultures and several countries have now legalised the medical use of marijuana.  

Medical marijuana can be used for:

• Reduction of nausea and vomiting, often effective during chemotherapy
• Pain reduction - particularly for neuropathic pain caused by nerve damage
• Improvement of appetite and sleep
• Reduction of chronic pain and muscle spasms, frequently used for those with multiple sclerosis
• Improvement of appetite, particularly for people with HIV/AIDs

It can be administered through methods such as capsules, dermal patches, oral sprays, edibles and vaporising.

Countries which have now legalised medicinal marijuana are calling for more rigorous testing to ensure customer safety because previous production and governmental restrictions have resulted in limited clinical research. One thing which can easily be tested is the moisture content, which could indicate potential microbial contamination.

The precise moisture content of marijuana must be measured because the poor drying of the plant during the drug extraction processes could lead to mould or fungal infestations, which in turn may pose a risk to the health of users, particularly those with immunodeficiencies.

Properly dried cannabis should contain no more than 10-12% moisture. Anything above this and the plant will be more susceptible to disease and contamination. Therefore, a highly accurate moisture analyser must be used in order to precisely determine the moisture content percentage for optimum safety.

Discover how Precisa’s Swiss engineering provides the most accurate measurements for the measurement of moisture content for medical use marijuana.