Final Project #cannabisjournalism
Lab Testing Cannabis
Why is it important?
You wouldn’t eat a moldy bagel or have a glass of wine with traces of pesticides in it would you? We each have a high standard of safety and consistency for these products that have been on the market and store shelves for hundreds of years. Why should this be any different with cannabis? The plant that many consume for health benefits as well as recreation, has to be held to high safety and state regulations. Like anything you consume, you want to know what is in it.
With new regulations as well as health concerns, labs are testing product from dispensaries and home growers. “Potency tests provide a cannabinoid profile and are used to determine the different cannabinoids that are present in a strain and in what quantities,” according to Dockside Co-op, a Seattle based testing facility. The “Safety tests check samples for microbial contamination (mycotoxins, mold, fungus, harmful bacteria, etc) and chemical contamination (pesticides, fungicides, plant growth regulators, etc.), both of which can be harmful to patients with compromised immune systems or other serious medical issues.”
Safety
Anyone consuming a product has the right to know without a doubt it is safe. When consuming cannabis, the importance for an uncontaminated plant is significant. Medical patients, who often have a weakened immune system need to be sure their medicine is not contaminated and could make them more ill.
Testing comes down to the health and respect for the patient or recreational user. The respect of providing a product that hold up to its name; Meaning it is what you are buying and contains nothing else.
“More and more patients are demanding testing. Many patients have suppressed immune systems that make them particularly susceptible to many common contaminants. Most are interested in medicine to treat specific ailments or side effects from other treatments they receive,” according to Steep Hill Lab, a cannabis testing facility.
Example of mold on cannabis from Steep Hill (photo http://steephill.com/pdf/Leading-the-Science.pdf)
Potency and Cannabinoid Make Up
The testing of cannabis is a crucial advancement for the entire cannabis industry. It benefits the doctors, patients, recreational users, and dispensaries. “By knowing not only that the product is safe, but also what its cannabinoid make up is, doctors and patients will be able to make informed decisions and dispensaries will be more informed and will be able to ensure their patients that the medicine is effective, safe and a well-tolerated treatment,” according to Steep Hill Lab.
Steep Hill testing facility in Berkeley, CA, Seattle, WA, with licensed labs in Denver, CO, Las Vegas, NV, and Albuquerque, NM (http://steephill.com/pdf/Leading-the-Science.pdf)
The potency test allows users to know what type cannabinoids they are consuming to help find the specific strain for their needs. Cannabis users both medical and recreational deserve to know what is in their plant. There are 85 cannabinoids (https://www.leafly.com) found so far, and many of them have medicinal benefits. These are 11 of the most beneficial…
Information from https://weedmaps.com/medical-marijuana-testing (Chart from Joe Oesterle)
Laws are always changing The combination of recreational cannabis still being relatively new to the market and Illegal under federal law, leads to slow progress regarding research.”Marijuana is illegal under federal law, so the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates pesticides, has never established any limits,” says David Migoya from the Denver post article about a pesticide crack down.
Crackdowns on dispensaries using, non-approved pesticides and having contaminated weed is now being seen more often. Denver Post Cannabist Pot Editor, Ricardo Baca, in a story from Dec 1, 2015.
“ For the 10th time in three months, a Colorado marijuana company is voluntarily recalling pot products because they contain potentially dangerous pesticides — chemicals that “constitute a threat to the public safety” when applied to cannabis, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper wrote in an executive order in mid-November.”
One example of many recalls due to pesticides found through testing.
Businesses using cannabis in their product(s) can avoid these recalls by consistently testing their product(s). Julie Berliner from Sweet Grass Kitchen, talked to the #cannabisjournalism course at @MFJS_DU about her testing process.
“We test at every stage of production. We test the cannabis, the butter, the batter and the final product.”
If you are always testing your product and making sure you are adhering to guidelines, your business will run smoothly. In result of the tested product, you are ensuring the industry is held to high standards, and users will be supplied with a consistent product.
