We are excited to share that our latest research has been published in the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy:Portable Raman Spectroscopy for Non-Invasive Chemotype Identification and pCB Profiling in Cannabis
Why this matters
Cannabis producers and quality managers face a challenge: determining whether plants are THC- or CBD-dominant often requires invasive, time-consuming laboratory methods like chromatography. These approaches are costly, destructive, and difficult to scale for high-throughput screening.Our study demonstrates that compact, hand-held Raman spectrometers can provide a fast, reliable, and non-invasive alternative.
Key findings:
Using two portable Raman instruments (785 nm and 830 nm excitation), we achieved:
- 90% classification accuracy in differentiating cannabis chemotypes directly from plant leaves.
- Non-destructive in vivo measurements, avoiding the need for destructive sample prep.
- Detection of multiple phytocannabinoid-associated spectral peaks, supporting future profiling and quantification.
Impact for the industry
This breakthrough highlights the potential of portable Raman solutions for:
- Early-stage chemotype screening in cultivation
- Quality control and regulatory compliance
- Research into phytocannabinoid profiling and content quantification
Collaboration & support
This work was made possible thanks to:
- Collaborators at University of Southern Denmark (SDU): Martin Hedegaard, Rime Bahij, Lars Duelund
- Schroll Medical, for providing high-quality cannabis samples
- Innovation Fund Denmark, for supporting this project under the Industrial Postdoc Programme (Ref. no. 3195-00024B)