Name: _________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________

LABORATORY NO. 3
APPLICATION OF MICROSCOPE EXAMINATION ON MARIJUANA ADULTERANTS
I – Objective:
 To identify the different physical properties of marijuana adulterants using a microscope.
II – Background:
The term marijuana, as commonly used, refers to the leaves and flowering buds of Cannabis
sativa, the hemp plant. It is usually smoked, but sometimes mixed in foods or brewed in tea to induce its
effects. Marijuana can be in the form of a HASHISH or HASH OIL. Hashish consists of the THC-rich
resinous materials of the cannabis plant, which is collected, dried and them compressed into a variety of
forms such as balls, cakes or cookie-like sheets. Hash oil is the refined oily extract of Marijuana plant
which varies in color from amber to deep brown. The main active components of Marijuana are the
Tetrahydro cannabinoid, Cannabidiol and Cannabinol.
Marijuana leaves and flowering tops exhibit a characteristics warty appearance due to the
presence of non-glandular hairs which contain at their base spheroidal cystolith of calcium carbonate. The
cystholic hairs appear like a bear claw under the microscope. Upon addition of HCI acid, effervescence will
occur due to a reaction of HCL, with Calcium carbonate which is present at every base of the cystolithic hair.

III – Materials:
Okra leaves, tomato leaves, papaya leaves, or any leaves with fine hairs, microscope, glass slide with
cover and dilute Hydrochloric acid.
III – Procedure:
Place a few pieces of crushed leaves on the glass slide and view under the microscope. Observe the
fine hairs that appear like a bear claw and the spheroidal crystalith on its base. Add a drop of dilute HCl and
observe the formation of effervescence. Repeat the same procedure using other sample of leaves.
V – Observation:
1. Write your observation for each of the leaves.

2. What is the indication of the results?