Total microbiome of cannabis

There are concerns about microorganisms present on cannabis materials used in clinical settings by individuals whose health status is already compromised and are likely more susceptible to opportunistic infections from species that are part of the microbial population. Most concerning is administration by inhalation where cannabis plant material is heated in a vaporizer, aerosolized, and inhaled to capture the chemical compounds that contain bioactive ingredients. Heating to high temperatures is known to kill microorganisms including bacteria and fungi; however, microbial death is dependent upon exposure time and temperature. It is unknown whether the heating of cannabis at temperatures and times designated by a commercial vaporizer utilized in clinical settings will significantly decrease the microbial loads in cannabis plant material. This study investigates the bacteria and fungi present in cannabis samples before and after heating in a vaporizer, using both 16S rRNA and fungal ITS sequencing to identify the microorganisms. Sequences were derived from DNA extracted from the treated cannabis and are representative of the total population of bacteria and fungi present in the samples.