Grading and Characterization of Hemp Biomass

There are validated methods of sampling biomass, however a method for characterizing and grading the plant biomass is then required but not currently available. The purpose of this study is to characterize and quantify the plant’s main structures in a typical harvest that will be packaged or bagged for receipt by an end-user processor. The hypothesis for this experiment is that a large variation of material will be recognized based on the state it was harvested from. The methods and equipment that were used for CBD potency and moisture percentage were the Shimadzu LC-2030C HPLC System and Shimadzu MOC63U Unibloc Moisture Analyzer respectively. For separating the biomass samples, the methods and equipment used were a Gilson Universal Sample Splitter and a 12 Inch Gilson Tapping Shaker Sieve. The results from the experiment displayed that the Alabama-grown hemp biomass samples were slightly above average in CBD potency and moisture. The Colorado-grown hemp biomass sample was lower in CBD Potency and significantly lower in moisture. The Kentucky-grown hemp biomass sample was the highest of the state-based CBD potencies. The Oregon-grown hemp was 55.6% lower in CBD potency than the average sample population and moisture was far below the sample population average. The Tennessee-grown hemp was slightly higher in CBD potency and moisture with our sample population. Additionally, we identified unique correlations involving regional differences and environmental factors. In conclusion, there are large amounts of variability in hemp processing and hemp material from its harvested material makeup. By creating a classification and grading template based on these insights, processors and farmers can optimize harvest methods, pricing models, and biomass selection, increasing the control of market predictability and quality control across the industry.