When to harvest cannabis? New technology helps researchers

New, highly detailed images taken by the Canadian Light Source synchrotron in Saskatoon are likely to help cannabis researchers discover the plant's optimal harvesting times.

Teagen Quilichini, head of research at the National Research Council, describes the images as «revolutionary».

The researchers used the BXDS High Energy Wiggler beamline and the Mid-IR beamline of the Canadian Light Source synchrotron to produce highly detailed images of the plant and study its chemical composition.

«Due to the long period of prohibition, In the past, we've had very little information and virtually no research on cannabis. It's time to catch up, to inform the medical community and improve cultivation practices,» says Quilichini.

The Quilichini team focused on the plant trichomes, The resin glands contain cannabinoids such as THC, as well as terpenes, the «smells» of cannabis.

«Trichomes are very sensitive and break easily, but using the CLS beamline, we've been able to capture images that normal microscopes can't even come close to. We can see all the trichomes of the female flower, even if they are still intact. This is a first in itself», explains Quilichini.

Trichomes were analyzed during different phases of the plant's development cycle. The research team discovered that the quantity and types of trichomes vary greatly over the course of the plant's growth.

«This can help us improve breeding and cultivation practices, but it will also allow us to select plants based on what we want them to do. This could greatly increase the chemical diversity of the cannabis plant and we might even discover new applications, instead of just trying to maximize THC.»