Medical cannabis flower or ‘flos’ must meet strict safety standards when prescribed for inhalation. Irradiation is a form of decontamination that may be used to remove harmful microbes naturally occurring on the plant to ensure it meets these safety standards. Not all flowers will need to undergo this process of decontamination. There is no evidence to suggest that irradiation dampens the clinical effect of the flower and it’s not shown to affect cannabinoids like THC or CBD. Irradiation is not unique to cannabis and is also used for certain plants and vegetables found in supermarkets.
