Designation:D8197−22StandardSpecificationforMaintainingAcceptableWaterActivity(aw)Range(0.55to0.65)forDryCannabisFlowerIntendedforHuman/AnimalUse1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationD8197;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(´)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.INTRODUCTIONTheconceptofwateractivityismorethan50yearsold.Formanyyears,researcherstriedtoequatebacterialgrowthpotentialwithwatercontent.WilliamJonesScottshowedin1953thatmicroorgan-ismshavealimitingawlevelforgrowth(1),2thusbeingthefirsttoestablishthatbacterialgrowthcorrelatedwithwateractivity,notwatercontentoforganicmaterials.Itisnowgenerallyacceptedthatawismorecloselyrelatedtothemicrobial,chemical,andphysicalpropertiesoffoodsandothernaturalproductsthanistotalmoisture(2).Itisfirmlyestablishedthatgrowthofspecificmicrobesandmetabolismofmicrobeassociatedtoxinsareinhibitedatorbelowspecificwateractivityvalues(3,4).Totalwatercontent(moisture)measurementsdonotnecessarilyreflectwateravailableformicrobialgrowthandthusareaninaccuratemeansforcontrollingmicrobialgrowth,becausethewatercontentsufficientformicrobialgrowthisdependentonthesubstancebeingtested.Wateractivitymeasurementismoreaccuratethantotalwatercontentmeasurementasitrelatesdirectlytothewateravailable(inliquidform)tomicrobesandisconstantrelativetotheparticularmicrobe,regardlessofthesubstancebeingtested.1.Scope1.1Thisspecificationcoverstherecommendedrangeofawsuitableforsafeandefficaciousstorageofcannabisflowersorportionsthereof.1.2Thisstandarddoesnotpurporttoaddressallofthesafetyconcerns,ifany,associatedwithitsuse.Itistheresponsibilityoftheuserofthisstandardtoestablishappro-priatesafety,health,andenvironmentalpracticesanddeter-minetheapplicabilityofregulatorylimitationspriortouse.1.3Thisinternationalstandardwasdevelopedinaccor-dancewithinternationallyrecognizedprincipleso...
