St.

Anthony’s College
San Jose, Antique

CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION (CJED) DEPARTMENT

Laboratory Activity in Forensic Chemistry and Toxicology

Name: SIMEON L. FURIO III RI Date Performed: October 05, 2021

Course & Section: BSCRIM-3C Instructor: Miguel Ramon Calibjo

Experiment No. 4_
Application of Microscopic Examination on Marijuana

I. Objective: To identify marijuana by microscopic examination.

II. Materials:
 Marijuana leaves and seeds
 Microscope
 Tuba tuba leaves (Kasla)
 Dilute Hydrochloric acid
 Ampalaya leaves
 Glass slide
 Squash leaves
 Cover slip
 Papaya leaves

III. Discussion: Marijuana leaves, small twigs, seed hulls and flowering tops exhibit a characteristic
of warty appearance due to the presence of non-glandular hairs called cystolith hair which contain
at their base spheroidal cystolith of calcium carbonate crystals. The presence of calcium carbonate
may be shown by adding a drop of dilute hydrochloric acid to the slide and taking note of
effervescence many of the cystolith hairs appears in the shape of bear claws. The seeds of fruit
derived of its hull, show a mottled effect and give the viewer the impression he is looking at the
hulled coconut. However, comparison with authentic sample is most desirable. Other plants may
exhibit fine hairs but not the characteristic of bear claw as presented by marijuana.

The microscopic examination may only be preliminary as to establish a specimen is marijuana. The
presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) must be shown but it is useful for exclusion purposes. Other
test for marijuana includes color test, and chromatographic examination.

IV. Procedure: Place a few pieces of crushed leaves suspected to be marijuana on glass slide with
cover slip and view under a low power objective of a microscope. Observe the fine hairs that appear
like bear claws and the spheroidal cystolith on its base. Place a drop of dilute hydrochloric acid on the
slide and take note of the effervescence. Repeat the procedure using the different leaves as stated in
the materials and take note if the hairs and spheroidal cystolith are present.
V. Observation:

1. Illustrate the hair and spheroidal cystolith of marijuana.

2. Describe the cystolith hair of marijuana.

- The Cystolithic hairs are a spindle shaped body
consisting of pectin associated concentric layers of lon gitudinally aligned cellulose mi crofibrils and
other cell wall of polysaccharides. Cystolithic hairs contain Calcium Carbonate(CaCO3). Cannabis
sativa also known as Marijuana, is a very famous plant and analyzed in many forensic laboratories in
the case of poison ing, plant analysis, etc. This plant is mainly identifies by trichomes (Cystolith hairs)
on plant particles. It is mainly found on leaf surfaces of the plant.
3. What substance is formed when the effervescence occurred?
- The greatest concentration of glandular trichomes are in the flowering tops of the plants and those
of the female plant have a greater concentration of THC. Material prepared from the flowering tops
or leaves is commonly called marijuana and usually contains 0.5–5% THC.

4. Write the balanced chemical reaction equation involved in observation No. 3.

- CO + O2 → CO2

5. Compare by illustration between the hair and base of marijuana to those of tuba tuba, ampalaya,
squash, and papaya.

With Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) Without Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)

Marijuana Marijuana
 Tuba tuba Tuba tuba

Ampalaya Ampalaya

Squash Squash

Papaya Papaya

6. What are marijuana flowering tops?

- The greatest concentration of glandular trichomes are in the flowering tops of the plants and
those of the female plant have a greater concentration of THC. Material prepared from the
flowering tops or leaves is commonly called marijuana and usually contains 0.5–5% THC.

VI. Conclusion:

1. Is the microscopic examination conclusive in establishing the identity of marijuana? Why?

 - The identification of Cannabis sativa relies heavily on microscopic investigations. The
microscope is used to examine the root, stem, and leaves in this investigation.

2. Aside from the microscopic examination, what are the other tests for marijuana?
- Marijuana test is usually performed on a sample of a person's urine, and blood, saliva, or hair
can also be used. Marijuana use testing could have been used for variety of reasons, including
medical screening and job interviews. While marijuana use can be tested on its own, it is frequently
mixed with other substances as part of a larger screening panel, such as a 10-panel drug test. A
second, more specific confirmation test should be used to confirm positive results from screening
panels.