Cannabis profiling based on its elemental composition--is it possible?

Elemental composition of 85 cannabis samples was established using GF AAS and ICP OES methods. The robustness of the method was determined by analyzing eight independently prepared replicates from a single cannabis plant. The accuracy of the method was established by analyzing four plant certified reference material samples. The ability of discriminant analysis using elemental compositions to distinguish between fiber cannabis samples collected from four different regions of Poland was evaluated. Then, a classification model was developed that correctly classified selected samples of known origin. Cannabis samples confiscated by law enforcement agencies have also been subjected to discriminant analysis. A classification model has been developed for four locations in Poland (Białystok, Kościerzyna, the environs of Skarżysko Kamienna, and Bydgoszcz), to help determine where samples of unknown origin could have been grown.