TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH IN CHOOSING THE CORRECT AND APPROPRIATE DRYING METHOD IN THE PRODUCTION OF DRIED CANNABIS FLOWERS FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES

Abstract

For a very long time, the cannabis plant has been the subject of much scientific research, which has intensified in recent years due to its proven medicinal properties for the treatment of a large number of diseases. Cannabis contains more than a hundred different bio molecules known as cannabinoids, then terpenes, essential oils and many other active components with proven pharmacological and phytotherapeutic effects that give excellent results in the treatment of many chronic diseases. It is for this reason that the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes (Cannabis Sativa L.) has been legalized in many countries in Europe and around the world. In order to obtain a high quality product a dried flower of medical cannabis, a lot of attention must be paid to cultivation, as well as an expert and professional approach to the processing process after its harvest. This stage includes several interrelated processes, namely: trimming, drying, packaging, labeling, transportation and storage. The critical approach and the detailed investigation of all possible potential risk factors of each of these individual procedures has a crucial importance in distributing a high quality product to the consumers themselves. Before starting drying, the process of cutting off the excess sugar leaves and the possible presence of larger leaves left over from the harvesting process itself, i.e. trimming, which can be done mechanically and/or manually on wet or semi dried biomass at your own choice. Most often, it is safest and best to approach trimming after drying. The most important operation after the completion of the cannabis harvest is the drying process. The correct selection and optimization of drying methods are a very current topic in recent years, which will enable the preservation of the quality of bioactive compounds in medical cannabis. Controlled temperature, relative humidity and drying speed are key to a preserved terpene and cannabinoid profile, good quality and increased shelf life of the finished product. With the development of the industrial production of medical cannabis, drying methods have made great progress from the traditional evaporation of water with hot air to include a freezing process. Which drying method will be chosen depends on several factors, such as: the type, the quantity, the available resources and capacities, and most importantly, the cannabinoid terpene profile, that we want to obtain. The latest scientific research indicates a great interaction of cannabinoids and the terpenes present in medical cannabis in achieving the pharmacological effect, therefore the choice of the drying method is extremely important to retain all the present components. In addition to drying, all other procedures after the harvest of the plant itself should be analyzed in order to obtain consistent, reliable and high quality medical cannabis for release on the market.