Cannabis testing should focus on finished products and actual use

Marijuana and hemp regulatory bodies across the United States are shortsighted in their contaminant-testing requirements for cannabis and cannabis-derived products.

The expectation is that contaminants will be identified, quantified and effectively removed from the supply chain if the contamination is significant or exceeds specification levels.

Making a scientific case to question THC-impairment testing

We have stronger evidence than ever that single measurements of delta-9 THC in breath or blood don’t always indicate impairment from recent cannabis use.

Why the lack of research on cannabis for animals is harming pets

As cannabis becomes more mainstream to all consumers, so does its availability to companion animals. With so much confusion around cannabis, that’s a problem.

Lack of attention to nanoemulsion standards could hurt cannabis manufacturers

Cannabinoid nanoemulsions have gained in popularity.

But are they safe and have they slipped through the regulatory cracks? Is this another example of a lesson (not) learned?

Standards organizations look to create uniform cannabis testing methods

While cannabis has enjoyed greater social acceptance in recent years, quality control will be critical to sustaining that growth and winning over the institutions that have yet to embrace a regulated marijuana industry.

Specifications that rely solely on limits of detection ultimately fail cannabis consumers

Cannabis testing and label failures are huge challenges for the industry, as attorney Ian A. Stewart pointed out in his recent analysis of the “perverse incentives” that marijuana regulations facilitate when products are tested and allowed to pass specifications based on limit of detection (LOD).

Batch size, failure rate drive cannabis testing costs, researchers conclude

Considering starting a cannabis laboratory?

Think it’s a gold mine for the taking?

Think again!

Laboratory testing is not for the faint of heart and can be downright cutthroat under some circumstances.

The importance of an open relationship between cannabis product manufacturers and labs

A new study of cannabis vape products from California collected during the vaping crisis of 2019 and 2020 underscored what many in the industry already know: The complexities of cannabis necessitate thorough analysis before product formulation manufacturing.

Creating a better cannabis cultivation facility while strengthening relationships with third-party testing labs

Want to create a better cannabis-cultivation facility while strengthening relationships with third-party testing laboratories?

Consider using a Fourier transform-near infrared (FT-NIR) spectrometer for mandatory compliance analyses.

Will new regulators association bring clarity, consistency to cannabis industry?

A unified, national approach to cannabis regulation has long been the goal for an industry seeking clarity across state lines.

Is it time to rethink how employers and law enforcement test for cannabis use?

In a preliminary manuscript currently undergoing peer review in a well-known journal, Michael DeGregorio and other researchers offer tangible evidence that criminally prosecuting or terminating employment based solely on the presence of cannabinoids and their metabolites in blood does not inevitably comport with cognitive impairment or failure to execute activities that require high functioning.

The US is finally getting serious about cannabis testing challenges

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently published the first results from last year’s Cannabis Quality Assurance Program (CannaQAP).