Guest blog by Samantha Miller – The current cannabis laboratory environment is unregulated so consumers have to be savvy. Knowing what questions to ask a prospective cannabis lab is key. To help the process a group of laboratory service providers* from various states along with an international advisor compiled a list of 10 questions to ask a cannabis scientist. This can act as a quick reference guide for those looking for a qualified laboratory partner.
10 Questions to ask your cannabis scientist
1. What training or expertise do you have to be able to perform cannabis analysis?
2. Which cannabinoids do you test for? Do you have reliable reference standards for all of them?
3. How is CBN related to THC, and why is it important to test for it?
4. What kind of samples do you test (flowers, edibles, tincture)? Have you optimized your extraction and analysis protocol for each kind of sample?
5. What do you do with left-over samples?
6. Are you aware of acidic cannabinoids? In samples such as edibles and tincture they can be present at high levels. How do you deal with that?
7. What is your analytical methodology for testing cannabis (HPLC [liquid chromatograph], GC [gas chromatograph], TLC, other)? What are the limitations of your selected method?
8. What is the average THC/CBD content your lab has measured?
9. Did your lab ever test the same cannabis twice, with very different results? What was the explanation for that, and what has been changed to prevent it from happening again?
10. Analytical methods need to be ‘validated’ before you can be sure they are fully reliable. Have you done this already, and how did you do this. Did it include a third party? If you didn’t do it yet, how can I be sure my results will be accurate?
* Contributors: Arno Hazekamp (Netherlands), Samantha Miller (Pure Analytics), Paula Morris (Medea Labs), Noel Palmer (Montana Botanical Analytics), Jeff Raber (The Werc Shop) and Eric Taylor (California Botanicals). Collectively the ACS, Alliance for Cannabis Science.
For some guidance on answers please read: Cannabis Laboratories: The Testing Landscape in America
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent any University, business, affiliates or Freedom Is Green Media Group LLC. The information provided in this blog is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease.
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