TechTalk – An Overview of Irradiation Effects on Cannabis Processing

As an agricultural product, cannabis, including its seeds, can be exposed to contamination with pathogenic fungi, bacteria, yeast, and mold during growing, drying, packaging, and delivery, which poses health risks for consumers. Radiation technologies such as gamma and electron beam (E-beam) irradiation are commonly used treatment methods to address many of the safety concerns with cannabis. In this presentation, we will discuss irradiation effects on cannabis including the benefits and risks of not irradiating cannabis products, as well as the similarities and differences of E-beam and gamma processing.