Visual Characterization and Identification Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana) Seeds - Fussell - Journal of Forensic Identification 59 (2009)

7/22/2019 Visual Characterization and Identification Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana) Seeds - Fussell - Journal of Forensic Identific

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Artic le

The V isual CharacterizationandIdentificationof an na bis sat iva Marijuana) Seeds

JennaL Fussell1John I Thornton 1Frederic W Whitehurst2

Abs t ra c t : A s tudy wa s conduc ted to c r ea te a v i sua l s t a nda rd a ndbas i s for the c o m p a r is o na nd i d e n t i f i c a t i o nof seeds of Cannabis sativa( m a r i j u a n a ) b a s e d o n t h e i r a p p e a r a n c e . Humulus (hop)s e e d s w e r ee x a m i n e d , b e c a u s e Humulus is phy logene t i ca l ly r e l a t ed to Cannabissativa and is the only o ther genus in the Ca nna b ina cea e f a mi ly . Seedsof other p lants whose lea f mate r ia l h ad been p rev ious ly shown to ha vesome s im i la r ity to the leaf mater ia l o f Cannabis sativaw e r e e x a m i n e d ,a nd a dd i t iona l ly , a su rvey o f a pprox ima te ly one thousa nd o the r seedsw a s c o n d u c t e d to a sce r t a in whe the r o the r seeds ex i s t t ha t cou ldrea-s o n a b l y b e c o n f u s e d w i t h Cannabissativa. T h i s w o r k is i n t e n d e d togive forens ic w o r k e r s m o r e c o m p l e t ei n f o r m a t i o n r e la t iveto th ev i s u a liden t i f i c a t ion o fm a r i j u a n a s e ed s .

In troduct ionW i t h i n th e fo rens ic sc i ence l i t e ra tu re , a n d f o r tha t m a t t e r ,w i t h i n th e b o t a n i c a l l i t e r a t u r e a s w e l l , t h e r e i s v e r y l i t t l edocumenta t ion conce rn ing th e iden t i f ica t ion o fm ar i juana seeds.A l t h o u g h c e r t a i n l y th e seeds have been desc r ibed , th e desc r ip -t i o n s t e n d to be b r i e f , and in the fo rens i c l i t e r a t u r e , t h e r e h a snever been a sys tema t i c s tudy to address th e issue o f w h e t h e ro t h e r s e e d s h a v e a s i m i l a r a p p e a r a n c e to t h a t o f m a r i j u a n a .U nder fede ra l law (21U.S .C. 502(16)),po ssess ion of Cannabissativaseeds isil legal, and under some sta te laws (e.g.,Ca l i fo rn ia

1 F or ens i c Sc i ence Gr adu a t e Gr oup , Un i ve r s it y of Ca l i fo r n i a , Da v i s , C A2 A t to r n e yatLaw, B e t h e l , N C

R e c e i v e d D e c e m b e r 30 , 2008 ; accep t ed J anua r y 20 , 2 0 0 9Journal of Forensic Identification

59 5), 2009\ 569


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U n i f o r m C o n t r o l l e d S u b s t a n c e s Ac t 11018), possession isu n e q u i v o c a l l y i l legal o r i l l egal un less the seeds are s ter i le andi n ca p a b l e o f g e r m i n a t i o n . T h e i d e n t i f i ca t i o n o f s eed s a s b e i n gthose of m ar i ju an a and no t o f any o ther p lan t may there fore be ane l emento f a c r im ina l p rosec u t ion . In aforensic labora tory , us in ga ch em i ca l t e s t to iden t i fy the seeds i s p rob lemat i c a t t he veryleas t , because th e seeds ra re ly t es t pos i t ive for the p r e s e n c e o fc a n n a b i n o i d s by m ea ns o f the c l ass i c Bu t l e r ( L e v i n e ) - m o d i f i e dD u q u e n o i s - N e g m tes t un les s they have com e in to d i rec t con tac tw i t h the fo l iage o rb u d s of the C .sativa p l a n t .

T h e p r e s e n t w o r k s o u g h t to c r ea t e a v i s u a l s t a n d a r d a n da b a s i s f o r c o m p a r i s o n f o r t h e a p p e a r a n c e a n d i d e n t i f i c a -t ion o f m a r i j u a n a se e ds and to re la t e th e v i s u a l a p p ea r a n ce o fm a r i j u a n a seed s to o ther seeds tha t cou ld poss ib ly b em i s ta k e nfo r m a r i j u a n a . It is hoped tha t t h i s s tudy wi l l he lp th e fo rens ics c i e n c e a n d b o t a n y c o m m u n i t i e s c o r r e c t l y i d e n t i f y C . sativas e e d s a n d g i v e t h e s e c o m m u n i t i e s a b a s i s fo r c o m p a r i s o n toth e s e e d s o f o t h e r p l a n t sp ec i e s , b o t h s i m i l a r a n d d i s s i m i l a rto C .sativa. It is a l so hoped tha t t h i s wi l l he lp to e l i m i n a t ea n y c o n f u s i o n s u r r o u n d i n gth e a p p e a r a n c ea n dc h a r a c t e r iz a t i o no f m a r i j u a n a s eed s a n d a u g m en t t h e co n f i d en ce w i t h w h i ch C .sativa seed iden t i f i ca t ions a re m a d e .

T h e c l a s s i c w o r k o n t h e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f m a r i j u a n a i sMarihuana, Its Identification [1],a1938p u b l i c a t io nof theU.S.T r ea su r y Dep a r t m en t Bu r ea u o fN arco t ics . Forens ic w orkers asw el l a s o ther pe r son ne l in l aw en fo rce m en t r e ly heav i ly on th i sg u i d e .T he pub l i ca t ion is a lmos t ex c lus ive ly devo ted to de ta i l edd e s c r i p t i o n s of the fo l iage and f low er ing tops o f the p lan t , andv e r y l i t t l e i n f o r m a t i o n a n d p h o t o g r a p h i c d o c u m e n t a t i o n i sd e v o t e d to the s e e d s . C u r i o u s l y , w i t h i n th e f o r e n s i c s c i e n c ec o m m u n i t y , t h e r e ha s n o t b e e n a s t u d y of the a p p e a r a n c e o fm a r i j u a n a seed s in c o m p a r i s o n to o t h e r s eed s . G i v en th e fac tt h a t ch em i ca l t e s t s f o r m a r i j u a n a a r e e s sen t i a l l y i n a p p l i ca b l eto the i d en t i f i ca t i o n o f C .sativa seed s , th e i d en t i f i ca t i o n m u s tp r o c e e d b y m e a n s o f a m i c r o s c o p i c e x a m i n a t i o n , a n d c l e a r l yit is v e r y i m p o r t a n t to r u l e o u t o t h e r p o s s i b l e s eed i d en t i t i e s .A t t h e p r e s e n t , a n e x p e r t w i t n e s s t e s t i f y i n g in c o u r t w o u l dhave v i r tua l ly n o bas is to answer ques t ions such as , What e l secou ld th i s seed have b e e n ? W h a t o t h e r s eed s c l o se l y r e sem b l em a r i j u a n a seeds? I t w ou ld be espec ia l ly be ne f i c i a l t o the expe r tw i t n e s s to h a v e s o m e k n o w l e d g e o f seeds tha t have a s i m i l a rapp earan ce to mar i juana seeds , a s w el l a s some kno w ledge as toJournal of Forensic Identification570 / 59 5),2009


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whethe r p l an t s t ha t have a k n o w n s i m i l a r i t y to C .saliva basedo n the mic roscop ic appea rance o f t he i r l ea f ma te r i a l a l so sha rea s imi l a r i ty in the appea rance o fthe i r seeds .

Othe r works [2, 3]t rea t the sub jec t of C .sativaseeds , but ares i len t wi th respec t to any c o m p a r i s o n to s e e d s o f other spec ies .T h e n u m b e rof other spec ies isi m m e n s e . T h o m e [4 ]g ives th en u m b e r as approx ima te ly 260 ,000 spec ies in 13,553 acceptedg e n e r a .Humulus(hop)isphy loge ne t i ca l ly r e l a t ed to C .sativa,b e i n gt h e o n ly o th e r g e n u s i n t h e C a n n a b i n a c e a efami ly . T h e forens icl i t e ra tu re h a she re to fo re n o tprov ided i l lu s t r a t ions of hop seeds .T h e 1972w o r k o f T h o r n t o n an d N a k a m u r a [5 ] i nd i ca t ed*t ha t a n u m b e r o f p lan t s have a s i m i l a r a p p e a r a n c e to m a r i j u a n aw i t h r e s p e c t to s t r u c t u r e s o f the l e a f m a t e r i a l a s s e e n u n d e rth e m i c r o s c o p e . T h e o c c u r r e n c e o f cys to l i th ha i rs is an impor -

t a n t c r i t e r i o n in the i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f m a r i j u a n a l e a f m a t e r i a l .Cys to l i th ha i rs were repor ted to occur among severa l d icoty le-dono us fam i l ies , notab ly th eM oraceae (m ulber ry) , Boraginace ae( forge t -me-not ) , Loasaceae ( even ing s t a r ) , a n d U l m a c e ae(elm)f ami l i e s . Othe r po ten t i a l ly s imi l a r p l an t s , w i th r e sp ec t to leafm a t e r i a l , a r e i n f a m i l i e s U r t i c a c e a e ( n e t t l e ) , V e r b e n a c e a e( v e r b e n a ) , C u c u r b i t a c e a e ( g o u r d ) , A c a n t h a c e a e ( a c a n t h u s ) ,a n d Campanu laceae (be l l f lower ) . However , n o c o m p a r i s o n h ashe re to fo re b e e n m a d e b e t w e e n C .sativa seeds and the seeds o fthese o ther p lant fami l ies .

MethodC .sativaseeds were a cqu i red from theC a l if o r n i a D e p a r tm e n tofFood andA g r i c u l t u r e (C D F A ) S ee d H e r b a r i u minS a c r am e n t o ,

C a l i f o r n i a , and the N a p a , C a l i f o r n i a , S h e r i f f ' s D e p a r t m e n t . ALe ica EZ4D s tereoscopic m icrosco pe w i th in teg ra l d ig i ta l cam eraw asused top h o t o g ra p h th e seeds . T h e seeds were pho tograph edon ab a c k g r o u n d o f mi l l ime te r squa re g raph paper fo r p u r p o s e so f m e a s u r e m e n t . S e ed s o f o th e r p l a n ts w e r e o b t a i n e d from th eC D F A S e e d H e r b a r i u m . T he CDFA Seed Herba r ium houses thesecond largest seed col lect ion inN o r th A m e r ic a .

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T h e presen t s tudy addressed th ree i s sues :1. Do hop seeds show any s imi l a r i t y t o mar i juana seeds ,g iven tha t Humulus is the c loses t p lant to C .sativa inth e phy logene t i c t r ee?2 . D o a n y o f t he p l a n t s d e s c r i b e d b y T h o r n t o n a n dN a k a m u r a [5] as h a v i n g l ea f m a t e r i a l in s o m e w a ys i m i l a r to tha t o f C .sativa sha re a s i m i l a r a p p e a r a n c ewi t h C .sativa wi t h r e s p e c t to seeds?3 . In an a c c e s s i b l e r e f e r e n c e c o l l e c t i o n of the s e e d so f a l a r g e n u m b e r o f p l a n t s , s u c h as the c o l l e c t i o nm a i n t a i n e d by t he C D F A S e e d H e r b a r i u m , a re t h e r eo the r seeds wi th s imi l a r appea rance tom a r ij u a n a ?

Resu l t s and D i s cu s si onT h e s e e d s o f a p p r o x i m a t e ly o ne thousand seed p l an t spec i esw e r e e x a m i n e d . B a s e d o n Thome's a p p r o x i m a t i o n o f t h e r eb e i n g a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2 6 0 ,0 0 0 a c c e p t e d s e e d p l a n t s p e c i e s ,a p p ro x i m a t e l y0.4%of the s e e d p l a n t p o p u l a t i o nw as e x a m i n e d .H o w e v e r , th e C D FA c o l l e c t i o n i n c l u d e s m o s t of the c o m m o na g ro n o m i c a l l y s ign i f i can t s eeds .Cannabissativa SeedsFor ap o i n t o f r e f e r e n c e , C .sativa s e e d s we r e e x a m i n e d andp h o t o g r a p h e d . Th e y m e a s u r e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 4 to 5 mm long b y3 to 4 mm w i d e and a re ovo id in s h a p e . H o we v e r , t h e r e is ap o s s i b i l i t y t h a t C .sativa s e e d d i m e n s i o n s c o u l d v a r y d e p e n d -ing on whether or not the seed i s wet or on the f reshness of theseed . A r i d g e r u n s a r o u n d th e c i r c u m f e r e n c e on one axis only .

T h e y r a n g e in co lo r f rom go lden ye l low to d a r k b r o w n , w i t hgoldenb r o w n to b l a c k m a r b l i n gon the seed she l l . T h em a r b l in gis cha rac t e r i s t i c and d i s t i nc t ive , bu t i s d i f f i cu l t t o sub jec t ive lydesc r ibe in w o r d s. T h e m a r b l i n g is a la c y n e t wo r k , but a p h o t o -graph ( F i g u r e s 1 and 2)w i l l i nva r i ab lyb em o r e a p p r o p r i a t e t h a na v e r b a l d e s c r i p t i o n .

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Humulus SeedsHumulus is the only other genusin the C a n n a b i n a c e a e f a m i lyb e s i d e s C .sativa. Spec ies examined inc ludedHumulus lupulus( c o m m o n n a m e : c o m m o n h o p) a n dHum ulusjaponica( c om m o nn a m e :Jap anese hop).T h eb o t a n i c a ld i f f e r ence b e t w e e n Humulusand C .sativah a s b e e n d e s c r ib e d b y N a k a m u r a[6].T h o u g h b o thplants have bear -c law shaped cy s to li th h a i r s , Humulus is di f fer -ent ia ted from C .sativaby the presence of d i s t inc t ive two -arm edunice l lu la r ha i r s sea ted on the ep ide rmis d i r ec t ly or on a m ul t i-ce l lu larpede s t a l. A co m par i son be tw eenC .sativaand H. lupulus

shows a s l i gh t r e semblance be tween the two seeds . H . lupulusseeds aregen era l lya bi tsma l l e r, m easu r ing approx im a te ly3 m mlong by 3 mm wi d e ,andtheya rem o r e r o u n di nshape w i thou tth er id g e r u n n i n g a r o u n dth e c i rc u m f e r e n c eof the seed on one axisas seen in C .sativa seeds . They have dark b rown color ing , anddark marb l ing can somet imes b e seen on the seed shell , s imilarto bu t d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e f rom th e m a r k i n g s o f C .sativa. T h e H .lupulus s e e d s ( F i g u r e 3 ) t e n d to h a v e a l i g h t e r b r o wn , r o u g ho u t e r cover ing ( the hul l ) over th e smooth seed she l l .

Humulusjaponica seeds (Figure4 ) are abou tth e same s ize asH. lupulus seeds and are also spher ical in shape . They are darkb rown to b l ack in co lo r , and the re i s a cons i s t en t ove r l app ingpa t te rn to the i r seed she l l , rese m bl in g the sca les of a snake . Thesca l ing pa t t e rn r ang es in co lo r sf rom gray tod a r k b r o w n .T o then a k e d eye , there a re v i s u a l s i m i l a r i ti e s b e t w e e n m a r i j u a n aa n dh o p seeds (s imilar s izes , color ing, and the presence o f s u r f a c ef e a t u r e s ) . U n d e r th e s t e r e o m i c r o s c o p e , h o w e v e r , t h e r e is nor easonab le m i s t ak ing the d i f fe rence be tw een the two .

Seeds of Plants with aSimilar Leaf Material Appearance toCannabis sativa PlantsSeeds f rom plants wi th a bo tan ica l appe a ranc e s imi l a r (bu t

n o t ident ical ) to m a r i j u a n a w i t h r e s p e c t to leaf mater ia l weree x a m i n e d an dpho tograph ed. These p lants w ere chosen based o nthe 1969 work ofN a k am u r a [6] and the 1972 work ofT h o r n to nand Nakamura [5] , where p lants wi th cys to l i th ha i r s , l ea f ha i r s ,andso-ca l led s tinging ha i r s w ere m icroscopica l ly com paredtoC .sativa.U r t icacea e (ne tt les ), M orac eae (mu lber ry) ,an dU l m a c e a e(elm) a re taxonomica l ly c lose ly re la ted to the C a n n a b i n a c e a e(hemp) fami ly .

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Moraceae FamilyT h e seed s t h a t w e r e ex a m i n ed f rom p l a n t s in the M o r a c e a e

( m u l b e r r y ) f a m i l y i n c l u d edBroussonetiapapyrifera ( c o m m o nname: paper mu lber ry) andFicus carica (common nam e: ed ib lef ig) .

B. papyrifera s e e d s ( F i g u r e 5 ) m e a s u r e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2m m b y 2 m m a n d a r e s p h e r i c a l in sh a p e . T h e seed s r a n g e incolor from g o l d en b r o w n to d a r k b r o w n , and the seed su r f a ceiscovered insm a l l b u m p s . Ba sed o na p p e a r a n c e , it isu n l i k e l y th a tm a r i j u a n a seed s w o u l db e co n f u sed w i t h p a p e r m u l b e r r y seed s .F.carica seeds (F igu re 6) are golden yel low to o range in color .T h e y m e a s u r e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 .5 m m by 1 .5 m m and a re a l sospher i ca l in shape . The seeds have a rough su r f ace wi th smal ld imples , r emin i scen t of anorange peel . Based on the d i f f e rencesin size an d seed color , itw o u l db e n ea r l y im p o ss i b l eto m i s t a k eF .carica seed s fo rm a r i j u a n a s e e ds .Loasaceae FamilyT h e s eed s t h a t w e r e ex a m i n ed f rom p l a n t s i n t h e Lo a sa cea e( ev en i n g s ta r ) f a m i l y i n c l u d e d Cajophora lateritia ( c o m m o nn a m e : C h i l e n e t t l e ) a n d Petalonyx thurberi ( c o m m o n n a m esa n d p a p e r p l a n t ). C .lateritia seed s ( F i g u r e 7) a re q u i t e sm a l l ,m e a s u r i n g a p p r o x i m a t e l y0 .5 mm w i d e b y 1 m m long . They a rei r r egu la r ly shaped and a re dark brown wi th smal l , l igh t b r o w n

c r a t e r s c o v e r i n g t h e en t i r e su r f a c e o f t h e s eed . T h e s eed s a r ed i s t i n c t l o o k i n g a n d sh a r e n o s i m i l a r i t i e s w i t h C .saliva seed s .P.thurberi seeds (F igu re 8) are cream co lo red , andhave av e r yd i s t i n c t appearance . They a re covered in smal l , sp iny , t h i s t l e -l ike s t ruc tu re s and have the shape o f a b ud d in g f lower . They a rel a r g e r t h a n m a r i j u a n a seed s , m ea su r i n g a p p r o x i m a t e l y 5 m m b y5 m m . P . thurberi a n d C .sativa seeds sha re n o s i m i l a r i t i e s int he i r appearances .Boraginaceae FamilyT h eseeds tha t w ere exam inedfrom p lan t sin theB o r a g in a c e a e( b o r a g e ) f a m i l y i n c l u d e dAnchusa officinalis ( c om m o n n a m e :com m on bug loss ) and Lithospermum officinalis (comm on nam e:c o m m o n g r o m w e l l ) . A . officinalis s e e d s ( F i g u r e 9 ) m e a s u r ea p p r o x i m a t e l y 2 m m w i d e by 2 .5 m m long . Th ey a rei r r e g u l a r l y

sh a p ed a n d a r e d a r k b r o w n i n co l o r w i t h sm a l l , l i g h t b r o w nb u m p s co v e r i n g th e en t i r e seed su r f ace . Someo f the seed edgesJournal of ForensicIdentification574/ 59 5),2009


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have r idges . T h e seeds d o n o tposses s a s i m i l a r a p p e a ra n c e toC .sativa seeds . L . officinalis seeds (F igu re 10) are w h i te , andth e seed s u r f a c e is v e ry s h i n y a n d s m o o t h . T h e s e e d s m e a s u r eapp roxim ate ly 3 m m long by 3 m m w ide and are ovoid in shape .A l thoug h the i r s ize an d shape a re s imi la r to C .sativa seeds , th ed i f f e r e n c e s in the i r co lor an d m a r k i n g s m a k e s it easy tod i s t i n -g u i s h b e t w e e n the two seeds .

Urticaceae FamilyT h e seeds tha t we re examined from p lan t s in the U r t i c a c e a e( n e t t l e ) f a m i l y i n c l u d e d Urtica dioica w i t h s t i n g i n g h a i r s(comm on nam e: s t ing ing ne t tle ), Urtica urenswi th s t ing ing hai rs( common name : dwar f ne t t l e ) , an dBoehmerianivea ( c o m m o nn a m e :C hine se g ras s) . U. dioica (F igu re 11)seedsare l ight brow nin color and ovoid in shape. They have small hairs covering theen t i re s eed su r face , and the seeds measu re app rox imate ly 1 .5m m b y 1 m m , w h i c h is s i g n i f i c a n t l y s m a l l e r t h a n m a r i j u a n a

seeds . There are s m a l l wings e m e rg i n g from each s ide at theb a s e of the s e e d . T h e s m a l l h a i r s a lso cover th e wings . U .dioica an d C .sativa seeds sha re n o s i m i l a r i t i e s in a p p e a ra n c e .U. urens seeds (F igure 12) are very s im i lar to U .dioica seeds .T h ey a r e deep g r een i n co lor , however , and do no t a p p e a r toh a v e th e wings c o m i n g o ff each s ide at the b a s e of the seed .U urens seeds cou ldnot r e a s o n a b l ybe v i s u a l l y m i s t a k e nfor C.sativa seeds .B .nivea seeds (F igure 13) are ve ry sma l l , m easu r -inga ppr oxim ate ly 0 .75m m b y0.75m m . T h e yareb r o w nincolorand have smal l ha i r s cove r ing the s eed su r face . They a re a lsoovoid in shape , bu t the ex t reme d i f fe rences in s ize and tex turewou ld p reven t the se s eeds f rom b e i n g c o n f u s e d fo rm a r i ju a n as e e d s . I t i s p o s s i b l e t h a t t h e a c c o m p a n y i n g p h o t o g ra p h s a n dthe foregoing descr ip t ions above of U.dioica, U.urens,and B.nivea seeds are no t desc r ib ing the na ked seeds . It is poss ib le tha tthe naked s eed re s ides in s ide o f a ha i r -cove red hu l l ; howeve r ,these seed spec imens are sosm al l tha t a d issec t ion couldnot bep e r f o r m e d to m a k e t h i s d e t e r m i n a t i o n , and in any event , theyw i l l n o t b e r e a s o n a b l y c o n f u s e d w i t h C .sativa.

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Verbenaceae FamilyThe seeds t ha t were examinedfrom p l an t s i n t he Verben aceae

(ve rbena ) f am i ly i nc lud ed on lyLantana camara ( c o m m o n n a m e :lantana) . L . camara seeds (Figure 14)m e a s u r e a p p r o x i m a t e ly4 .5m m long b y 4 m m wi d e . Th e y a re d a r k b r o wn to b l ack in color .T h e y a re i r r egu la r ly shaped wi th sma l l , da rk c ra t e r s cover ingth e ent i re seed sur face . These charac ter i s t i cs would prevent L .camara s e e d s f r o m b e i n g m i s t a k e n l y i d e n t i f i e d a s C .salivaseeds .Acanthaceae FamilyT h e seeds tha t w ere exam ined f rom plants in the Acan thaceaef a m i l y i n c l u d e d o n l yAcanthus mollis ( c o m m o n n a m e : b e a r ' sbreech ) .A. mollisseeds (F igure 15)are , re la t ively sp eak ing , veryl arge ; t h e y m e a s u r e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 2 m m b y 8 m m . T h e y a red a r k b r o w n in color . They a re c i r c u l a r in shape , b u t f l a t . Theyh a v e r i p p l i n g a l o n g th e en t i r e seed su r face t ha t l ooks s imi l a rto wa te r r i pp les in a b o d y o f wa te r . Based o n s ize a lone , thereis n o c red ib l e poss ib i l i t y o fA . mollis s e e d s b e i n g m i s t a k e n fo rm a r i j u a n a seeds .For t h i s s tudy , t he re were seve ra l p l an t spe c im en s m ent ion edin the w o r k o f T h o r n t o n a n d N a k a m u r a [5 ] tha t cou ld no t bep r o c u r e d , e i t h e r at the C D FA Se e d H e r b a r i u mo r the U n i v e r s i t yo f C a l i f o r n i a D a v i s H e r b a r i u m . T h e s e w e r e th e s p e c i e s :Dorstenia contrajerva ( c o m m o n n a m e s : c o n t r a h e i r b a o r

t u s i l l a - M o r a c e a e f a m i ly ) , Morus nigra ( c o m m o n n a m e : b l a c km u l b e r r y - M o r a c e a e f a m i l y ) ,Loasa chelidonifolia ( L o a s a c e a efami ly ) , Eucnide lobata ( L o a s a c e a e fami ly ) , Mentzelia albes-cens (com m on nam e: w avy l ea f b l az ing s ta r -Lo asaceae fam i ly ) ,Symphytum officinalis ( c o m m o n n a m e : c o m f r e y -B o r a g in a c e a ef a m i l y ) , Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum ( c o m m o n n a m e :p u r p l e g r o m w e l l - B o r a g i n a c e a e f a m i ly ) , Cordia gerascanthus( c o m m o n n a m e : y a u c o - B o r a g i n a c e a e f a m i l y ) , Tournefortiascabra (com m on name: Wes t Ind ian so ld i e r b ru sh-B o r a g i n a c e a efami ly) ,Parietaria officinalis (comm on nam e: upr igh t pe l l i t o ry -Ur t i caceae fami ly ) ,Pileapubescens (Ur t i caceae fami ly ) , Lippiacitridora ( V e r b e n a c e a e f a m i l y ) , Ulmus campestris ( U l m a c e a ef ami ly ) , Celtisoccidentalis ( c o m m o n n a m e : c o m m o n h a c k b e r r y- U l m a c e a e f a m i l y ) , Melothria gualapensis ( C u c u r b i t a c e a ef ami ly ) , an d Campanula americana ( c o m m o n n a m e : A m e r i c a nb e l l f l o w e r - C a m p a n u l a c e a e f a m i ly ) . It is d i s a p p o i n t i n g t h a tt h e s e s eeds a r e no t access ib l e , b u t re f l ec t s th e r ea l i t y o f t h es i t u a t i o n w i t h r e s p e c t to s e e d c o l l e c t i o n s . J im E f f e n b e r g e r ,Sen io r Seed Botan i s t of the C D FA Se e d H e r b a r i u m s t a t e s [7]:Journal of Forensic Identification576 / 59 5), 2009


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D u r i n g th ep as t 1 0 0y ea r s p l an t he r b a r i a c o l l ec t io n r e so u r cesa n d r e l a te d f l o r i s t ic r e f e r e n c e s h a v e d r a m a t i c a l l y im p r o v e din s i z e a n d d i v e r s i t y . C o n v e r s e l y , d u r i n g t h e s a m e p e r i o da s s o c i a t e d s e e d c o l l e c t i o n r e s o u r c e s a n d c o r r e s p o n d i n gd esc r ip t iv e r e f e r en ces hav e ex p an d ed a t a mu ch s lo wer r a t ea n d m a n y a re l i m i t e d to s e e d s p r i m a r i l y f r o m a g r i c u l t u r a lc r o p s a n d w e e d s . T h i s r e s t r i c t i o n o f re f e r e n c e r e s o u r c e sh a s c r ea t ed s ig n i f i can t i s su es co n t r i bu t in g to the c o m p l e x i -t i e s o fi d e n t i f y i n ga n d d e s c r i b i n g u n k n o w n se e d s p e c im e n si n c l u d i n g : th e l ack o f s e e d s p e c i m e n s m a t c h i n g e x i s t i n gh e r b a r i u m s p e c i m e n s a n d c o r r e s p o n d i n g w r i t te n m o r p h o -lo g ica l d esc r ip t io n s ; t he sp a r se g eo g r ap h ica l d i s t r i b u t io n o fseed co l lec t ions ; a n d o ther ensu ing problems invo lved wi tha c c e s s i n g l i m i t e d r e s o u r c e s , c o l l e c t i n g , p r e s e r v i n g a n dp h o t o g r a p h i n g a p p r o p r i a t e s p e c i m e n m a t e r i a l .T he Fed er a l g o v er n men t ' s No x io u s Weed Seed P r o jec t i n i t i -a tedb y theU n i ted Sta tesD e p a r t m e n t o fA g r i c u l tu r e in2001to c r e a t e u s e a b l e p h o t o g r a p h s a n d w r i t te n d e s c r i p ti o n s o fFedera l Noxious Weed Seeds exper ienced de lays an d acces -s i b i l i t y p r o b l e m s due to the l i m i t e d c o l l e c t i o n r e s o u r c e s o fs e e d s p e c i m e n s . A p p r o x i m a t e l y 9 8 sp ec i es o fn o x i o u s w e e ds e e d s w e r e i n c l u d e d o n the p r o jec t l i s t fo r i d e n t i f ic a t i o n .O v e r a p e r i o d o f m a n y m o n t h s th e S u p e r v i s i n g B o t a n i s t w a sco mp e l l ed toaccessn u m e r o u s h e r b a r i a a n dseed col lect ionsind i f f e r e n t S ta t e s i n o r d e r t o o b t a in accu r a t e co m p r ehen s iv ep h o t o g r a p h i c d o c u m e n t a t i o n . M a n y of the seed co l lec t ionsl a c k e d w r i t t e n d e s c r i p t i o n s a n d t h u s r e q u i r e d d e v e l o p m e n tby the P r o jec t . Co m p le t io n of the p r o jec t sp an n ed mo r e t hantwo y ea r s a s ar e s u l t of the l i m i t e d a v a i l a b i l i ty o fp e r t i n e n tco l l ec t io n ma te r i a l an d r e f e r en ces .

Although someof the desired seed specimens could not beexamined or described, it is offered that the conclusions ofthis study are still credible and helpful in the visual charac-terization and identification of C.sativa seeds. Although theDorstenia contrajerva and Mortis nigra species within theMoraceae family were notexamined,theBroussonetia papyr-ifera andFicuscaricaspecies within this family were examined.AlthoughtheParietariaofficinalis andPileapubescens specieswithin the Urticaceae family were not examined, the Urticadioica, Urtica urens,andBoehmeria nivea species within thisfamilywere examined. Althoughtheseedsof anumberofplantswithin the Boraginaceae family were not available for inspec-tion, the seeds ofLithospermum officinalis within this familywere examined. In a similar fashion, although anumberof theseeds of plants within the Loasaceae family were not available,the seeds of Cajophora lateritiaandPetalonyx thurberiwithinthis family were examined. And although the seeds of Lippiacitridorawithinthefamily Verbenaceae werenotexamined,theseeds ofLantana camara inthis family were examined.

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Seeds with a SimilarAppearance to Cannabissativa SeedsF orth i s po r t iono f the s tudy , seeds w ere exam inedfo rs imi la r -

i t i e s to mar i juana seeds , i ndependen t o f p l an t bo tany . Th i s wasth e s h o t g u n a p p r o a ch to the q u e s t i o n o f w h e t h e r o t h e r s eed sw i l l sh o w a s i m i l a r i t y to t h o s e o f C .sativa. T h e l i t e r a t u r e ,t o g e t h e r w i t h th e ex t en d ed s eed co l l ec t i o n of the CDF A S eedH e r b a r i u m , w a s s u r v e y e d for any seed t h a t m i g h t b e c o n f u s e dw i t h C .sativa. I t was found tha t severa l p l an t s , un re la t ed to C .sativa, have seeds wi th a s i m i l a r a p p ea r a n ce to C .sativa.U s i n gthe U.S . D ep ar tm en t o f A gr ic u l tu r e ' s hand bo ok [8 ], t hep h o t o g r a p h s o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y 7 35 s eed sp ec i e s w er e ex a m i n ed .Using the p h o t o g r a p h sas ag u i d e , 15d i f f e ren t seed spec ies w erese l ec ted a s p o t en t i a l l y b e i n g s i m i l a r i n a p p ea r a n c e to m a r i j u a n aseeds ba sed on s ize , shape , and m ark ing s . The 15 seed sp ec iesw er e t h en s c r een ed a t t h e CDF A S eed Her b a r i u m a n d i n c l u d edth e f o l l o w i n g : Echinochloa colona ( c o m m o n n a m e : j u n g l er ice) ,Digitaria ischaemum ( co m m o n n a m e : sm o o t h c r a b g r a s s ) ,

Panicum bergii ( c o m m o n n a m e : B e r g ' s p a n i c g r a s s ) ,Panicummiliaceum ( c o m m o n n a m e : b r o o m c o r n m i l l e t ) ,Setaria italica(comm on nam e: fox ta i l b r i s t legrass) ,Muscari comosum ( c o m m o nn a m e : t a s se l g r a p e h y a c i n t h ) , Po lygonum persicaria ( c o m m o nn a m e : sp o t ted l a d y s t h u m b ) ,F umaria officinalis ( c o m m o n n a m e :d r u g f u m i t o r y ) , Cardaria pubescens (a lso ca l led Hymenophysapubescens c o m m o n n a m e : h a i r y w h i t e t o p ) ,Raphanus sativus( c o m m o nnam e: cu l tiva ted rad i sh ) ,Lathyrussylvestris ( c o m m o nn a m e : f l a t p ea ) , Lathyrus tuberosus ( c o m m o n n a m e : t u b e r -o u s s w e e t p e a ) ,Pisum sativum ( c o m m o n n a m e : g a r d e n pea) ,Vicia sativa ( co m m o n n a m e : g a r d en v e t ch ) , and Croton setiger( co m m o n n a m e : d o v e w eed ) . Ba sed o n s ize , shape, co lor , an ds u r f a c e m a r k i n g s , n o n e o f t h e se s eed s h a v e a n a p p e a r a n ce t h a tcou ld r e a s o n a b l y b e c o n f u s e d w i t h C .sativa.

A d d i t i o n a l l y , a s p a r t of the s h o t g u n a p p r o a c h , th e s e e d so f th e CDFA S eed H e r b a r i u m w e r e b r o w s e d . Severa l spec iesy i e l d ed i n t e r e s t i n g r e su l t s . T h e fo l lowing seeds were se l ec tedwhi le b rows ing the CDFA seed co l l ec t ion , o r a t t he sugges t iono f J i m E f f en b e r g e r , S en i o r S eed Bo t a n i s t a n d A OS A Cer t i f i edS eed A n a l y s t a t t h e CDF A S eed Her b a r i u m . T h e f i r s t s i m i l a rlook ing seed is in the Ap iace ae (carrot)fami ly ,g enus and speciesCoriandrum sativum ( co m m o n n a m e : co r i a n d e r o r ci lan t ro) . C .sativum seed s ( F i g u r e 16)m ea su r e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 4 .5 mm longby 4 m m w ide . They a re sph er i ca l in shape and have so l id , da rkb r o w n co l o r i n g w i t h r a n d o m l i g h t b r o w n b l o t ch es . T h ey h a v eJournal of Forensic Identification578 / 59 5),2009


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t r a n sv e r se r i d g es r u n n i n gfrom the top to the bo t tom o f the seed .T h e s ize , shape, a n d co l o r i n g o f co r i a n d e r s eed s a re s i m i l a r tom a r i j u a n a seeds to the nake deye.Ho w ev e r, w h en v i ew ed u n d e rm a g n i f i c a t i o n , the r idges and co lo r ing a re c l ea r ly d i s t ingu i sh -a b l e f r o m m a r i j u a n a s e e d s . T h e r i d g e s are a c l ea r f ea t u r e tod i s t i n g u i s h C .sativum from C .sativa.

A n o t h e r s i m i l a r l o o k i n g s e e d i s in the C h e n o p o d i a c e a e( g o o s e f o o t ) f a m i l y - Spinacia oleraceae ( c o m m o n n a m e :sp inach) . Sp inach seeds (F igu re 1 7 )m e a s u r e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 4m m long by 3 m m w ide. They are ovoid in shape, bu t a re f la t te rthan m ar i ju an a seeds . The i r r ipp led su r f ac e g ivesth ea p p ea r a n ceof the m a r b l i n g o n a m a r i j u a n a s e e d . T h e y a re g o l d en b r o w nin co lo r wi th some randomly p laced da rker b rown spo t s . The i rs i m i l a r i t i e s in s i ze , shape , a n d p e r ce i v ed co l o r p a t t e r n s m a k eS. oleraceae seeds l ikely candidates fo r co n f u s i o n in u n a i d e dv i s u a l id en t i f ica t i o n .

A n o t h e r s i m i l a r l o o k i n g seed i s i n t h e F a b a cea e ( l eg u m e)f a m i l y- Lupinus albifrons (com m on nam e: s i lve r lup ine) .Thes i l v e r l u p i n e s eed s ( F i g u r e s 18 and 19)d i s p l a y c o n s i d e r a b l es imi lar i t ies to mar i juana seeds . They measu re approx imate ly 5m m long by 4 m m w ide and are ovoid in shape. They are go ld enb r o w n to d a r k b r o w n w i t h d a r k b r o w n m a r b l i n g o n thei r shel l .They do appear to have a g loss i e r su r f ace than mos t mar i juanaseed sand,u n d e r m a g n i f i c a t io n , it is apparen t tha t th e p a t t e r n son the seed shel l a re d i f f e ren t f rom t h o se o n m a r i j u a n a s eed s .T h e m a r b l i n g a p p ea r s m o r e m o t t l ed t h a n C .sativa and lacks thew e l l -d e f i n e d l acy ne twork charac te r i s t i c o f C .sativa.

A d d i t i o n a l l y , a n o t h e r sp ec i e s ( F i g u r e s 2 0 a n d 2 1 ) f rom th eLupinus g e n u s wase x a m i n e d - Lupinus texensis ( c o m m o nname: Texas lup ine) . They , too, a re g o l d e n b r o w n w i t h d a r kb r o w n m a r b l in g o n t h e i r sh e l l . Ho w ev e r , in c o m p a r i s o n w i t hC .sativa, they a re m o r e r o u n d an d f la t in sh a p e . T h ey m e a su r ea p p r o x i m a t e l y 4 mm by 4 mm, and they have what looks l ike ata i l a t one end of the se ed . The seed su r fac e appe ars to be g lossy ,as wi th th e si lver lupine seeds. To the u n a i d edeye,these seedscould a l so b e m i s i d e n t i f i e dasm a r i j u a n a s e ed s .

A n o t h e r s i m i l a r l o o k i n g se e d i s i n t h e V i t a c e a e ( g r a p e )f a m i l y - Vitis girdiana ( c o m m o n n a m e : d e s e r t w i l d g ra p e ) .Gr a p e s eed s ( F i g u r e s 22 and 2 3) m ay be e x p e c t e d to be w i t h i nth e exper i ence o fv i r tua l ly everyone , un l ike many of the o therseeds men t ioned in th i s work . Never the less , t hey deserve someJournal of Forensic Identification

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m e n t i o n . V .girdiana s e e d s m e a s u r e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 4 . 5 m ml ong b y 4 m m w i d e . T h e y a re d a r k b r o w n in co lo r a n d h a v el i g h t e r b r o w n m a r k i n g s a n d i n d e n t a t i o n s c o v e r i n g th e e n t i r eseed sur face . They have an i r regular ovoid shape . To the nakedeye , th e s i m i l a r i t i e s in color, size, an d shape cou ld , under somec i r c u m s t a n c e s , c a u s e con fus ion w i th m a r i j u a n a s e e d s . H o w e v e r,u n d e rth e s t e reomic roscope , th ede se r t w i ld g rape a n dm a r ij u a n aseeds cou ld no t be c red ib ly c o n f u s e d for one another .A n o t h e r s i m i l a r l o o k i n g s e e d is in the Brass i caceae (mus ta rdorcabbage)f ami ly- Crambe abyssinica (comm on nam e: c rambe) .C .abyssinica seeds (F igure24 )have cream to l igh t b ro w n color-in gw i th sma l l , b l ack spo t s r an do m ly d i s t r i b u t ed overth e seed ' ss u r f a c e . Th e y m e a s u r e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 3 mm by 3 mm a n d a respher i ca l in shape . Thei r seed sur face is textured l ike a no r a n g epee l , a n d v e r y fa in t r i d g e s can be s e e n r u n n i n g f rom the top toth e b o t t o m of the seed . A t f i r s t g l ance , th e s i m i l a r i t i e s in sizea n d co lo r ing cause t hem to look s imi l a r to m a r i j u a n a , bu t t hespher i ca l shape a l l ows fo r d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n u p o n a m i c r o s c o p i ce x a m i n a t i o n .A noth e r s im i l a r l ook ing seed is in the Euphorb i aceae ( spurge )f ami ly- Croton californicus (comm on nam e: C a l i fo rn i a c ro ton) .C .californicus seeds (Figu res25 and 26)m e a s u r e a p p r o x i m a t e ly5 .5 m m long b y 4 m m wi d e . Th e y a re ovo id shaped and have as m o o t h s u r f a c e . T h e y a re g o l d e n b r o w n in c o l o r w i t h d a r k e r

b row n m arb l ing cover ing nea rly th e ent i re she l l sur fa ce . Someofth e s u r f a c e m a r k i n g s a p p e a r to beb l ack in color . L ike th e si lverlup ine seed , th e Ca l i fo rn i a c ro ton seed a l so h as o ne of the m o s ts i m i l a r a p p e a r a n c e s to m a r i j u a n a s e e d s , a l t h o u g h th e s u r f a c em a r b l i n g does n o t have th e def in i t ion seen o nm a r ij u a n a seeds .

Conc lus i onT h e be nef i t f rom t h i s r e s e a r c h i s the i n f o r m a t i o n i t w i l lprov ide to m e m b e r s of the forens ic sc i ence an d b o ta n y c o m m u -n i t i e s r e g a r d i n g th e p h y s i c a l i d e n t i f i c a t i o n a n d a p p e a r a n c ec o m p a r i s o n o f m a r i j u a n a s e e d s . It is hoped tha t t h i s s tudy wi l la l so p rov ide we igh t a n d c red ib i l i t y to a po ten t i a l exper t wi tnesst e s t i m o n y r e g a r d i n g th e p o s i t i v e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f m a r i j u a n aseed s . T h e exper t wi tness wi l l n o whave abas i s fo r c o m p a r is o n

to o the r po ten t i a l s imi l a r l ook ing seeds . T h e presen t s tudy f i l lsa p o r t io n of the gap in C .sativa b o t a n i c a l r e s e a r c h .JournalofForensicIdentification580 / 59 5),2009


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T h e s e e d s ofHumulus,b e in g the c loses t re la t ive to C .sativa,a re c l ea r ly d i s t i ngu i shab lefrom those o f C .sativa.T o the exten ttha t t he i r s eeds were ava i l ab l e for the presen t s tudy , none o fth e p l an t s whose l ea f ma te r i a l is in s o m e w a y s i m i l a r to th a tof C .sativa disp lay seeds tha t cannot b e c l ea r ly d i s t i ngu i shedf rom C .sativa. Seeds t ha t do have a s i m i l a r a p p e a r a n c e to C .sativa a re u n r e l a te d to the C .sativa g e n u s an d spec ies . Of theapprox ima te ly 1 ,000 spec i es su rveyed , th e Lupine spec i es a n dth e Ca l i fo rn i a c ro ton seeds have th e mos t s imi l a r appea rancesto C .sativa seeds . Cau t ion shou ldb e exerc i sed tha t these seedsof these spec ies a re not c o n f u s e d wi t h C .sativa.

It is a p p r o p r i a t e h e r e to se t fo r th a cavea t , l e s t th e f i n d i n g sof t h i s s t u d y b e u s e d in s u p p o r t of an offe red o p i n i o n t h a t th ee v i d e n c e in q u e s t io nis C .sativa and no o the r p l an t . T h ei d e n t i -f i c a t i o n o f C .sativa, w h e t h e r l e a f m a t e r i a l , b u d s , o r s e e d s ,h a s a l wa y s r e s t e d o n r a t h e r f r a g i l e a n d t e n u o u s g r o u n d s . T h e1972 w o r k b y T h o r n t o n a n d N a k a m u r a s u r v e y e d 1 4 6 g e n e r ain 26 fami l i e s . Tha t work a t t empted to i nc lude common p l an t sa n d sp ices , but i t c a n n o t b e c o n s t r u e d a s a c o m p l e t e s u r v e yof the p l a n t k i n g d o m , and fo r tha t reason a lone , th e b o t a n i c a liden t i f ica t ion of l eaf ma ter ia l m us t be approached w i th a s ign i f i -c a n t m e a s u r e o f d i f f id e n c e . T h e s a m e c o m m e n t m u s t b e m a d ewi th r e spec t to the c u r r e n t wo r k . A l t h o u g h a p p r o x i m a t e l y o n et h o u s a n d seeds were examined in the present s tudy, there is noabso lu t e gu a ran tee t ha t a su rvey o f ano the r t housan d wo uld no trevea laplant wi th seed ssos im i la r , ba sedonv i sua l ly obse rva b lecha rac ter i s t i cs , as to r e p r e s e n tat h r e a tto the iden t i f i ca t ionof C .sativa. Th e p r e s e n t s t u d y d o e s r e so l v e a n i m p o r t a n t p r e v i o u s l yu n a n s w e re dq u e s t i o n c o n c e r n i n gHumulus,an d thep resen t s tudyd o e s in pa r t r e so lve th e q u e s t io n c o n c e r n i n g p l a n t s w h o s e l ea fm a te r i a l is kn ow n to have som e s im i l a r i t y t o C .sativa,a l th o u g hs o m e s p e c ie s w i t h p r e v i o u s l y d e s c r i b e d s i m i l a r i t y w e r e n o te x a m i n e d i n t h e presen t s tudy .T h e fac t t h a t s o m e p l a n t s w i t h i na g e n u s s h o w d i f f e r e n c e s in s e e d m o r p h o l o g y is t r o u b l i n g ;th eques t ionr e m a i n s ,Ifdi f ferent p l a n t s w i t h i nage nus show d i s t i nc td i f f e r e n c e s , is i t poss ib l e t ha t p l an t s in d i f f e r e n t g e n e r a w i l ls h o w d i s t i n c t s i m i l a r i t i e s ? T h e p r e s e n t s t u d y c a n n o t a n s w e rth i s ques t ion . It is apparent tha t th e ent i re d i sp lay an d a r r a n g e -m e n t o f seed fea tu res , a l t hough d ive r se , a re spread across th ep l a n t k i n g d o m and a re no t c o n f i n e d to ce r t a in genera , o r evento c e r t a i n f a m i l i e s .A n d f ina l ly , in the shotgun p h a s e of thep r e s e n t s t u d y , a n e x t e n d e d m u s e u m o f s e e d s w a s c o n s u l t e dfor s e e d s h a v i n g a s i m i l a r a p p e a r a n c e to C .sativa, similarm e a n i n gc lose accordinsize,ar i d g e r u n n i n g a r o u n dth ec i rc u m -

Journalof Forensic Identification59 5),2009\ 581


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f e r e n c eon oneaxis,thepresenceoflacy marbling , andcolor,the latter feature being given less weight given the fact thatseeds of a species may vary f r o m specimen to specimen. Theseed herbarium consulted isconstantly augmenting itscollec-tion,and there is no guarantee that the next specimen submittedwillnot besimilarto C.sativain all observable features.

AcknowledgmentsWeareindebtedto JimEffenberger (Senior Seed Botanist at

the CDFA Seed Herbarium) and to Jean Shepard (University ofC a l i f o r n i a , Davis Herbarium)fortheir supportandenthusiasmfo r th eproject.Forfurther information, please contact:

Dr. John I . Thorn tonN a p a C o u n t y S h e r i f f 's D e p a r t m e n t1535 A i r p o r t B l v d .N a p a , CA 94558j t h o r n t o @ c o . n a p a . c a . u s

References1. Marihuana, Its Identification. U.S.T r e a s u r y B u r e a u ofN a r co t i c s ,U.S. G o v e r n m e n t P r i n t i n g Off ice : W a s h i n g t o n ,D C ,1938.2. Joyce , C. R.; C u r r y , S. H. ,Eds.TheBotanyandChemistryof Cannabis.J . & A. C hurch i l l: Lon don , 1970;pp 11-38.3. S t e a m ,W . T . The C ann ab isPlan t :Botan ica l Charac t e r i s t i c s .In TheBotany and Chemistry o f Cannabis,Joyce,C . R .,C u r r y , S .H. , Eds. ;J and A Church i l l :L o n d o n , 1970;pp1-10.4 . T h o m e , R. F . How M any Spec ies of Seed Plan ts Are Th ere?Taxonomy 2 0 0 2 51(3),511-512.5 . T h o r n t o n , J . I .; N a k a m u r a , G . R . T h e I d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f

M a r i j u a n a . J.For. Sci. Soc.,1972,12(3), 461.6. N a k a m u r a , G . R . F o r e n s ic A s p e c ts o f C y s t o l i t h H a i rs o fC a n n a b i s and Other Plants .J .Assoc.O fficial Anal.Chemists,1969 52 1), 5 .7 . E f f e n b e r g e r , J . C a l i f o r n i a D e p a r t m e n t o f F o o d a n dA g r i c u l t u r eSeedH e r b a r iu m , S a c r a m e n t o , C A .Personalc o m m u n i c a t i o n , 2 0 0 8 .8. Manualfor Testing Agricultural and Vegetable Seeds ,

A g r i c u l t u r e H a n d b o o k N o . 3 0 . ; U.S. D e p a r t m e n t o fA g r i c u l t u r e , Sup t . o f D o c u m e n t s : W a s h i n g t o n ,D.C., 1952.Journal of Forensic Identification582/ 59 5),2009


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A p p e n d ix AC a n n a b i n a c e a eCannabis sativa Seeds

Figure 1Cannabissativa (marijuana). Actual seed length 4.5 mm.

Figure2Cannabissativa (marijuana). Actual seed length5 mm.

JournalofForensic Identification59 5), 2009 \ 583


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A p p e n d i x BC a n n a b i n a c e a e Humulus S e e d s

Figure3Humulus lupulus common hop). Actual seedlength 3 mm.

Figure 4Humulus japonica (Japanese hop). Actual seed length3 mm.

J o u r n a l o f Forensic Ide nt i f icat ion584 / 59 5), 2009


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A p p e n d i x CSeeds o fP l a n t s wi t h a S i m i l a r L e a f M a t e r i a l A p p e a r a n c eto Cannabissativa P lan t s

I IBBFigure5MoraceaeBmussonetiapapyrifera (paper mulberry).Actual seed length2 mm.

Figure6MoraceaeFicus carica commonfig).Actual seed length1 .5 mm.

Figure 7LoasaceaeCajophora lateritia (chilenettle). Actual seed length1 mm.

Journal of Forensic Identification59 5), 2009 \ 585


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A p p e n d i x C(con t inued )Seeds of Plan ts w i tha S i m i la r L e a fM a t e ri a l A p p e a ra n c eto Cannabissaliva P lan t s

4 * t ig * B f f l8 flH I M M H H M B M ^ ^H M B H H s * * ^ P B * * * 3 M ^ N tfeFigure 8Loasaceae Petalonyx thurberi (sandpaper plant). Actual seed length 5 mm.

Figure 9BoraginaceaeAnchusa officinalis (commo n bugloss). Actual seedlength 2.5 mm.

Figure 10Boraginaceae Lithospermum o f f i c i n a l i s (common gmmwell). Actual seed length 3 mm.

Journa l o fFore nsic Ide nt i f icat ion586 / 59 5) ,2009


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A p p e n d i x C( co n t in u ed )S eed s o fP lan t s w i th a S i m i la r L e a f M a t e ri a l A p p e a r a n c eto Cannabissaliva P l a n t s

M

Figure 11Urticaceae Urtica d ioica L. (stinging nettle).Actual seedlength 1 .5 mm.

Figure 12Urticaceae Urtica urens L . (dwarf nettle).Actual seed length 2 mm.

Figure 13Urticaceae Boehmeria nivea (Chinese grass).Actual seedlength 1 mm.

Journal of Forensic Identification59 5),2 9 \ 587


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A p p e n d i x C (cont inued)Se e d s o f P l a n ts w i t h a S i m i la r Le a f M a t e r i a l A p p e a ra n c e

toCannabis sativaP l a n t s

Figure 14VerbenaceaeLantanacamara L. lantana). Actual seed length4.5 mm.

Figure15Acanthaceae Acanthus mollis L. (bear s breech). Actual seed length 12mm.

Journal of Forensic Id en tif ication588 / 59 5),2009


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A p p e n d i x DS eed s w i tha S i m i la r A p p e a r a n c eto CannabissalivaS eed s

Figure 16Apiaceae Coriandrum sativumL. (cilan tro). Actual seed length4.5 mm.

Figure 17Chenopodiaceae Spinacia oleraceae (spinach). Actual seed length 4 mm.

Figure 18Fab aceae Lupinus albifrons (silver lupine). Actual seed length 5 mm.

Journa lof Forensic Ident i f ica t ion59 5), 2009 \ 589


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A p p e n d i x D ( co n t i n u ed )Se e d s w i t h a S i m i l a r A p p e a r a n c e toCannabissaliva

Se e d s

Figure 19Fabaceae Lupinus albifrons silver lupine).Actualseed length5 mm.

Figure 20Fabaceae Lupinus texensis (Texas lupine).Actual seed length4 mm.

Figure 21Fabaceae Lupinus texensis (Texas lupine).Actual seed length4 mm.

JournalofForensic Identification590 / 59 5), 2009


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A p p e n d ix D continued)S eed s w i th a S i m i la r A p p e a r a n ce toCannabis sativaSeeds

Figure 22Vitaceae Vitisgirdiana wildgrape).Actual seed length 4.5 mm.

Figure 23Vitaceae Vitisgirdiana (wildgrape). Actual seed length 4.5 mm.

Figure 24Brassicaceae Crambe abyssinica (crambe).Actual seed length3 mm.

JournalofForensic Identification59 5),2009 \ 591


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A p p e n d i x D( c o n t in u e d )Se e d s w i t h a S i m i l a r A p p e a r an c eto Cannabis saliva

Se e d s

Figure 25Euphorbiaceae Croton ca lifornicus (California croto n). Actual seed length5.5 mm.

Figure 26Euphorbiaceae Croton ca lifornicus (California croton). Actual seed length 5.5 mm.

Documents

Visual Characterization and Identification Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana) Seeds - Fussell - Journal of Forensic Identification 59 (2009)