EXPERIMENT NUMBER 8

Microscope Examination of Marijuana Adulterants

The term "cannabis, "more popularly known as "Marijuana" or "Indian Hemp," includes every
kind, class, genus, or specie of the plant Cannabis sativa L. (such as Cannabis Americana, bhang,
hashish, guaza, ganja and churrus, to name a few). This term also refers to the following variants:
dried or fresh and flowering, flowering or fruiting tops, or any part or portion of the plant and
seeds of the plant, and all its geographic varieties (e.g., resin, reefer, tincture, extract, or other
forms).
The Marijuana leaf possesses varied characteristics that are distinct from those of its adulterants.
For example, cystolith and cystolithic hair can both be observed when a sample is viewed under a
compound microscope. Cystolith are dark spots in the marijuana leaf that can be visualized prior
to being mounted in the glass slide using chemical treatment. By contrast, the cystolithic hairs are
transparent hair formations with a hook-like shape, which can also be observed.

I. Objective: To know the different physical properties of Marijuana adulterants

II. Materials: Compound microscope, 4 glass slides, papaya leaves, tobacco leaves, ampalaya
leaves, okra leaves and diluted HCL
III. Instructions:
1. The professor places each Marijuana adulterant in separatecontainers with markings.
2. Each student must describe the physical appearance of the Marijuana adulterants.
3. Next, each adulterant is mounted on a glass slide. The students must observe and take note of
their properties using a compound microscope,
4. Place a drop of diluted HCL in each.glass slides and observe the occurrence of effervescence.
5. Conclude by stating what you have learned from this experiment.

IV. Physical properties of each adulterant

Marijuana Adulterant Color Leaves

The leaves of the papaya fruit turn yellow, gray, or bronze.
Papaya Ieaves

Tobacco leaf colors range from green (also known as blonde) all the
Tobacco Ieaves way to black.

Ampalaya Ieaf it is green to white in colour.

Ampalaya Ieaves

Okra leaves are green and the vibrant green leaves are covered in
Okra Ieaves small bristles or spines, have serrated edges, and tapers to a point
on the non-stem end.
V. Properties of each adulterant when viewed under a compound microscope

Marijuana Adulterant With cystolithic hair Without cystolithic hair

Papaya Ieaves Carica papaya leaf extract
(CPL) and characterized for
their size and shape using
scanning electron microscopy
and transmission electron
microscopy, respectively.
Fourier transform infrared
NONE spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy
dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
(EDS/EDX) and X-ray
diffraction spectroscopy
(XRD) were conducted to
determine the concentration
of metal ions, the shape of
molecules.
Tobacco Ieaves Confocal laser scanning microscopy
(CLSM) showed that glutathione
levels in tip cells of both long and
short trichomes were higher than
those in other types of leaf cells,
indicating the presence of an active
sulfur-dependent protective system
in trichomes. Our results revealed NONE
that the trichome-specific
transcriptome approach is a
powerful tool to investigate the
defensive functions of trichomes
against both abiotic and biotic stress.
Tobacco has always been considered
as a medicinal plant
Ampalaya Ieaves Leaves of bitter melon (Momordica
charantia L.) are used as food or
medicine to control some diseases
because of its antioxidant, NONE
antibacterial, anticancer, anti-
hepatotoxic, antiviral,
antiulcerogenic and larvicidal effects.
Okra Ieaves Shows that in okra leaves silica and
calcium oxalates, together with NONE
chloroplast
VI. Effervescence of each adulterant

Marijuana Adulterant With effervescence Without effervescence

Papaya Ieaves There is no bubbling of a
NONE solution due to the escape of
gas
Tobacco Ieaves There is no bubbling of a
NONE solution due to the escape of
gas
Ampalaya Ieaves There is no bubbling of a
NONE solution due to the escape of
gas
Okra Ieaves There is no bubbling of a
NONE solution due to the escape of
gas