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Cannabis Product Testing: Pass or Fail?

Published

11 months ago

May 11, 2024

In any industry, third-party or independent lab testing provides validation for the manufacturer’s safety and label claims on any product intended for consumption. The cannabis industry is no different. Cannabis products can be divided into two main categories: inhalable and non-inhalable cannabis products. Before these products can be sold to the medical cannabis patient or adult use consumer, they must be tested in a third-party lab which includes several different quality assurance controls.

Why test cannabis?

In the U.S., most of the legal cannabis market states require licensed cultivators, manufacturers, and distributors to present passing Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for their inhalable and non-inhalable products to reach the consumer but the extent of the testing requirements vary. Examples of inhalable products include flower, pre-rolls, infused pre-rolls, and concentrates used for vaping. Tinctures, edibles (infused beverages, gummies, chocolates, etc.), topicals, balms, and bath soaps are examples of non-inhalable products. COAs dictate whether the product is safe for consumption as well as the composition of the particular chemovar. The COAs can include results for cannabinoids, pesticides, terpenes, heavy metals, residual solvents, microbial impurities, water activity, and moisture depending on state-specific standards and regulations. States can also choose to be less rigorous in their testing and only include results for some of these analytes. Cannabis can have a huge variety of analytes in any given chemovar, so measuring what is present and how much of it is there is important whether it is the specific cannabinoids (such as THC and CBD), heavy metals (such as lead and arsenic), microbial impurities (such as Salmonella), pesticides, and more. Many states set acceptable limits for these analytes based on what they consider safe for consumption. Labs can provide a numerical measurement, also known as quantification value, as well as a corresponding “pass” or “fail” designation for the sample being tested.

In the regulated cannabis market, METRC is a technology solution used in many states to track and trace all forms of cannabis from seed to sale, including the quality control and quality assurance that happens in the labs. The methods used by the testing lab must adhere to the standards and regulations put in place by state-specific cannabis regulatory bodies, which vary from state to state. This disconnect between states without federal oversight has made it easier for rogue labs to create false results when creating their COAs. For example, some labs have developed their methods to ensure inflated cannabinoid results when making their COAs, which in turn causes products to be sold at a higher price to the consumer, due to the nature of concentrated or higher testing products having a greater market value to consumers. Alternatively, growers can also submit “spiked” samples to the lab to boost their results. For this reason, some states require the lab technician to go to the grow site and select their own samples for analysis.

Based on the reference lab’s results and findings, labs producing false COAs could be held accountable by issuing a public warning about the infraction and then shutting the testing lab down.

Unfortunately, there aren’t many checks in place to ensure that the results displayed on the COA are not inflated with higher than actual THC/THCa values, or other falsehoods. A reference lab, a state-managed lab that checks the accuracy and efficacy of third-party labs, that only works for the safety of the cannabis patient and consumer, should double-check the testing results, methods, and science practices of all state testing labs. Then, based on the reference lab’s results and findings, labs producing false COAs could be held accountable by issuing a public warning about the infraction and then shutting the testing lab down.

Some states are taking this type of corruption more seriously. In Michigan, if any sample tests over 28% for THC level, the regulatory agency will audit those results. California’s Department of Cannabis Control has been inspecting and reviewing results, which has led to suspensions and one attempt to revoke a license which was ultimately overruled by a judge. Some blame the consumers for forcing the market to seek higher and higher THC percentages, but that is not always the case. In July 2022, a small group of consumers in Arkansas filed a lawsuit against a group of four companies for selling products with overinflated THC numbers.

It is important to have every product tested for safety, efficacy, and consistency particularly because these factors will contribute to the success of the business. If a product does not pass testing it must be destroyed or, depending on the issue, the product can be remediated by a licensed manufacturer. For example, if a flower fails microbial testing it can be remediated into a concentrate. However, remediation does not guarantee a pass. A remediated concentrate may not fail microbial testing, but instead fails pesticides or heavy metals due to all the components of the flower being condensed into a concentrate. The remediated concentrate could also fail for residual solvents if the concentrate was not made safely. The remediated product must pass testing before being released to the consumer for retail sale, and even then, the COA does not state a product went through remediation. In California’s cannabis industry, if a sample fails any test the batch that it represents cannot be delivered to dispensaries for retail sale. Instead, it can be remediated or reprocessed and fully re-tested again. If a batch fails a second re-testing after the remediation process, or if a failed batch is not remediated, then the entire batch must be destroyed

Depending on the U.S. state’s requirements, analytical tests will be performed on all cannabis products before it reaches the consumer.

Download the CannabizMD COA analytics table

Qualifications for third-party labs

According to a national review delivered by Americans for Safe Access, the regulations of each state determine who can do testing. For example, when comparing the cannabis regulations of Maryland, Colorado, California, Oregon, New York, and Florida, each state upholds the importance of using third-party testing or independent testing labs (ITLs). These states require registered testing labs to oversee the quality of the cannabis products within their respective legal markets and alert the state-led regulatory body when a product fails testing.

It’s a straightforward process to become a testing lab. There’s a non-refundable registration fee required, which can range anywhere from $100 – $1000. In most states, once a lab is registered with the respective regulatory body, it must obtain ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, which indicates that they are a reliable source to perform competent lab testing and produce reliable results. Registered testing labs must pass proficiency testing to prove their methods are valid to use for testing on cannabis products. Those same labs are required to use methods that are certified through agencies such as AOAC, FDA, EPA, NTI (Oregon), or other methods approved by the state’s regulatory body. Some states have standardized methods put in place, which is an important safeguard that prevents licensed manufacturers, cultivators, and distributors from shopping around in their state’s cannabis market for a lab that will give passing results. Labs can set their own Limit of Detection (LOD) and Limit of Quantification (LOQ) values, which can skew results to appear as though they are passing when they are not. Rogue labs will intentionally design their analytical methods not to detect analytes at all or not give an accurate concentration of the analytes present.

“Because a lab can set its own LOD and LOQ, it can legally pass a sample for pesticides, heavy metals, or residual solvents that another lab might fail.”

In theory, if all labs tested the same way, the results should be consistent and would take the same amount of time to produce no matter the lab performing the tests. There would not be an issue of inflated THC/THCa values, false passing results, fast two-day turnaround times, and other malicious acts that have the potential to put consumers at risk. False passing results, better known as falsifying data, can look like running a sample several times and then choosing the elevated THC level to report or running a sample several times because the sample is failing for an analyte and then choosing to report the passing result because it finally happened after the 8th time running the sample. Falsifying data can also look like deleting peaks that are actually present during the data analysis process of testing, thus causing a sample to wrongfully pass. This process of picking and choosing which data to report is known as cherry-picking data and is disreputable in the science community.

As more U.S. states come online with medical and adult-use cannabis programs, lab testing regulations have the opportunity to evolve and improve. By implementing third-party testing lab compliance and regulatory enforcement, combined with education for medical cannabis patients and consumers, the states are setting the foundation for sound federal regulation when cannabis is re- or de-scheduled.

Alina Butler, M.Sc. is an experienced molecular biologist, cannabis scientist, edible production lead, and science communicator striving to make the world a better place using science.

Author: Alina Butler, M.Sc.

References:

● “2021 State of the States.” Report, Americans for Safe Access, Feb. 2022, https://www.safeaccessnow.org/sos.

● Affairs, Office of Regulatory. “Water Activity (AW) in Foods.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, 27 Aug. 2014, https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/inspection-technical-guides/water-activity-aw-foods.

● Boileau, N. (2023) “The Importance of Accuracy in Cannabis Potency Testing,” Ekidna, 3 February. Available at: https://ekidna.ca/the-importance-of-accuracy-in-cannabis-potency-testing/ (Accessed: February 24, 2023).

● “Compliance Track-and-Trace Technology and Software.” Helping Cannabis Regulation Work for Everyone, METRC, 12 Dec. 2022, https://www.metrc.com/.

● ISO/IEC 17025 – Testing and Calibration Laboratories. ISO, 11 Mar. 2020, https://www.iso.org/ISO-IEC-17025-testing-and-calibration-laboratories.html.

● Department of Cannabis Control – State of California. Testing Laboratories. Department of Cannabis Control California, 2023, https://cannabis.ca.gov/licensees/testing-laboratories/.

● Department of Public Health & Environment. Certification of Cannabis Testing Facilities. 2023, https://cdphe.colorado.gov/laboratory-services/inspection-of-marijuana-testing-facilities.

● Florida Department of Health Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Certified Marijuana Testing Laboratories. OMMU, 2023, https://knowthefactsmmj.com/cmtl/.

● Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission. Independent Testing Labs. 2023, https://mmcc.maryland.gov/Pages/testinglabs.aspx.

● Office of Cannabis Management. Cannabis Laboratories. New York State, 2023, https://cannabis.ny.gov/cannabis-laboratories.

● Oregon Marijuana Testing License. Oregon Cannabis Information Portal, 2023, https://oregonstatecannabis.org/licensing/testing.

● Pitts, Kelly. What Are Cannabis Tinctures? How Do You Make Them?, The Stash, 28 Nov. 2019, https://www.wikileaf.com/thestash/what-is-a-weed-tincture/. Accessed 12 Jan. 2023.

● Weedmaps Editors, editor. What Is Cannabis Flower and How Do You Consume It?, Weedmaps, 25 Aug. 2022, https://weedmaps.com/learn/products-and-how-to-consume/cannabis-flower. Accessed 12 Jan. 2023.

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Author: mscannabiz.com

MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.

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Best weed lubes | Leafly

Published

2 months ago

February 10, 2025

mscannabiz.com

The number of strains in our database that contain sexy puns would blow your mind, Leafly Nation. But it makes sense—cannabis and the erotic have gone together since time immemorial, just consult the Chinese medical texts that cite it as an aphrodisiac, the Reefer Madness films that paint it as a sinful stimulant, and the latest chapter of research that indicates cannabis use leads to a high rate of satisfaction.

The orgasm gap between men and women remains, with a recent study in the academic journal Sexual Medicine indicating women orgasm far less than men throughout their lives. We think that’s absolutely tragic. Smoking and ingesting cannabis has shown to increase desire and satisfaction across gender and age groups, but not everyone wants to, or can, light up before knocking boots. A cannabis- or hemp-infused lubricant, however, can help deliver site-specific effects of tingling, warming, moisture and increased sensitivity due to vasodilation.

We found the best weed lubes on the market right now, with a range of formulations and potencies to suit any position, proclivity, and passion.

How to order weed delivery online with Leafly

Best weed lubes—THC-infused

These lubricants contain THC, and most are formulated for safe ingestion as well as topical use—just be mindful that ingesting THC may impact a drug test. Since cannabis is still a Schedule I substance, you can only buy these lubes in certain states. Most are California exclusives, with a couple in Oregon, Arizona, and Maryland. Maybe you need to plan a Valentine’s Day trip to pick some up.

Autumn Brands Passion Primer Intimate Serum

best weed lubes (Courtesy Autumn Brands) — (Courtesy Autumn Brands)

Autumn Brands’ Now Melt brand was designed as a self-care line of products that encourage us to slow down and melt into the moment—and sensual self-care is part of that. Their Passion Primer serum is an aloe-based gel that creates moisture while the 200 mg THC increases sensitivity. No oil in the formula means it’s latex compatible, but avoid using it rectally. (California)

Curio Oh! Intimacy Oil

Curio, Curio, wherefore art thine orgasms, Curio? The Maryland-founded, now interstate cannabis company does just about everything well: flower, edibles, vapes, and medicinal products like capsules and tinctures. Their Oh! oil proves they understand what their consumers want—a decadent, THC oil that’s a feast for the senses. Oh! has a coconut oil and shea butter base, with the addition of THC, a few botanicals, and essential oils. We recommend patch testing in case of reaction for anyone with sensitive skin. (Maryland)

Proof Cannabis Lube

Proof Cannabis does high potency well—high dose tinctures, capsules, and topicals. Their new lubricant, called “orgasm oil,” is also potent, with 300 mg each of THC and CBD. As an oil, it’s not latex-safe, and the base of grape seed oil makes for a lighter, less greasy finish than other products that use butters or thicker oils like coconut. (California)

Lavinia oh.hi silicone lubricant

We interviewed Lavinia’s founder Katie Enright back in 2023, when she was launching her unique, silicone-based cannabis lubricant. Enright wanted to be a nun, before she found the gospel of cannabis, and her congregation is now one of pleasure seekers. Using silicone instead of water or oil means high efficacy and applicability—just remember to cleanse after use. Her product has expanded to include an applicator for deeper, more precise distribution, and a line of “Kinky Bites” and “Goodnight Kiss” infused gummies formulated to eat before and after all kinds of horizontal tangos. (California)

Liquid Flower Day and Night lubricant

Speaking of the best weed lubes—Liquid Flower has won Emerald Cup awards for their topicals that target muscle soreness, and their Day and Night Lubricant brings that same sensibility to your erogenous zones. Liquid Flower recommends applying the lubricant at least 15 minutes before getting down to business for the full effects of warming, increased circulation and heightened pleasure. This is a shea butter-based lubricant, with plenty of oils like rosehip and coconut thrown in, so it’s not compatible with condoms. It also contains essential oils for fragrance, so we recommend patch testing before use to avoid any irritation. (California)

Luminous Botanicals Dew Sensual Oil

Luminous Botanicals sheds a light on the lack of pleasure in our lives, and how to seek it out. Their Dew line has two formulas, Pleasure and Comfort, depending on your needs—Pleasure is THC dominant whereas Comfort is a 1:1 blend, and each contains 250 mg total cannabinoids. The spray bottle packaging allows for precise or liberal application. (Oregon)

Kush Queen lubricant

What can we say that hasn’t been said? Kush Queen was one of the first cannabis brands to release a lubricant, and they’ve endured with a range of products that includes bath bombs, gummies, scrubs, and topicals. They offer both a THC lube and a CBD lube, both water-based, so you can choose your own adventure or play with both. While some products are only available in California, you can order non-THC products directly from the Kush Queen website. (California)

High Desert Pure Massage Oil

Call it a happy-ending massage. High Desert Pure’s massage oil pulls double duty as a post-workout massage aid (or any time you feel sore), and an intimate massage emphasizer. With 800 mg total of THC and CBD, a little goes a long way. This is fragrance-free with a coconut oil base, so it’s safe for sensitive skin. (Oregon)

Sublime Stoney Yoni oil

Sublime keeps their topical oil, meant to “get your vagina stoned,” very simple—just coconut oil and cannabis oil, with 160 mg THC. This straightforward formula means it can multitask as a massage oil or be used to spike sensitivity on other parts of the body, like the chest, back, and other erogenous zones. (Arizona)

Best weed lubes—CBD and hemp

These lubricants forgo THC, so you can buy them just about anywhere within the US.

Blow by Bawdy

Bawdy indeed—these oils cut right to the chase. Bawdy’s ethos combines cannabinoids and sexual charge, and their three oil-based lubricants complement the spectrum of arousal. Blow, perhaps obviously, formulated for, ahem, oral use, with 500 mg CBD and 100 mg CBG. Royal Blow and Astro Blow can be used all over the body, and you can even use them together.

Toca Toto oil

Toca means touch in Spanish, and the founders of Toca want you to touch all over, as much as you want. Toto is the vulva formulation, while their Qulo works better for the back door. Both use CBD to help decrease inflammation and lubricate erogenous zones in the body. Just remember, you can’t use them with condoms.

Quanna Oomf CBD lube

This water-based lubricant puts, literally, a little oomf in your bedroom routine. There’s no oil in this water-based formula to ruin condoms or toys, and they provide third-party testing. No THC in this one, but you’ll still get CBD’s anti-inflammatory and soothing properties so prep you for any kind of sensual situation.

Quim Smooth Operator

Quim (we’ll let you look up what that means) has been around for years with a singular purpose—to give your nethers the best experience possible. Their Smooth Operator (water-based) is their topical serum targeted at sexual satisfaction, while Happy Clam (oil-based) is like skincare. Both products now exclusively use CBD, but the results speak for themselves—big O’s all around.

Skinny Hippie Weed Lube

Finally, a water-based option! Skinny Hippie’s Happy Endings lube uses another plant, aloe vera, as the base, with a minimal ingredients list and no fragrance. With 100 mg each of THC and CBD for increased blood flow and relaxation, the brand recommends only a couple drops at a time. This is a hemp-derived formulation, and is third-party tested to ensure accurate and uncontaminated ingredients. Skinny Hippie also offers an oil-based version, suppositories, and CBD-only formulas.

And that’s a tour through the best weed lubes on the market these days.

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Author: mscannabiz.com

MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.

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Majority of U.S. Adults Report Positive Cannabis, Psychedelic Drug Experiences

Published

11 months ago

May 13, 2024

mscannabiz.com

As cannabis and psychedelics continue to experience a modern-day renaissance, with increased education and access to information surrounding their use and benefits, we’re collectively crafting new narratives after decades of inflammatory propaganda surrounding these substances.

Tired messaging of the past has suggested that cannabis and psychedelic use were one-way tickets to unpleasant and traumatic experiences, though we’re gradually moving away from these assertions, as research is finding these drugs can work to ease physical and mental trauma and stress, alongside many other potential benefits.

A new YouGov poll sheds even more light on the experiences of individuals with cannabis, psilocybin and other psychedelics like LSD and MDMA, finding that the majority of those who have tried the substances described their experiences as positive.

As the government works to reschedule cannabis to the less restrictive Schedule III category and psychedelic research and reform continues to escalate across the country, the results offer further insight on today’s shifting attitudes surrounding plant medicine and psychedelic drugs.

U.S. Adults Report Positive Cannabis, Psychedelic Experiences Most

YouGov conducted the online poll April 25-28, 2024, comprised of 1,134 U.S. adult citizens. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification and current voter registration status.

Most participants had used cannabis (57%, including 42% who used it more than once). Psilocybin was the next most popular substance, with 20% reporting previous use, while 16% had tried LSD and 11% had tried MDMA. About half of people who had used each of those drugs said they had tried it more than once.

For each of the drugs, the majority of users said their experiences were “mostly positive” — specifically 57% of cannabis users, 65% of psilocybin users, 55% of LSD users and 56% of MDMA users.

The next most popular response for all drugs was “equally positive and negative,” while those reporting “mostly negative” experiences for all drugs was lowest (20% for cannabis, LSD and MDMA and 8% for psilocybin).

Support for Cannabis, Psychedelic Legalization

The survey also asked respondents about their attitudes surrounding the legislative reform measures surrounding the drugs and whether they believed that they should be legalized.

The majority of respondents showed their support for cannabis legalization, with 60% in favor and 30% opposed, though far fewer said the same for the other drugs in the survey. Just 27% said they support legalizing psilocybin, 16% MDMA and 15% LSD.

Still, those who had tried each drug were more likely to support legalization than those who had not.

Specifically, 78% of cannabis users support its legalization, 63% of psilocybin users support legal psilocybin and 55% of MDMA users support legal MDMA. LSD stood out in this respect, as 38% of LSD users said they supported legalization while 43% would oppose it.

The survey echoes the sentiments of other recent polls investigating the shifting modern-day attitudes surrounding cannabis and psychedelic drugs.

Monitoring Evolving Perceptions on Cannabis and Psychedelics

A number of recent polls reveal the progression surrounding consumer attitudes around cannabis and harm perception, with many revealing that Americans view cannabis as safer than using alcohol or tobacco.

Myriad polls have also shown strong support for cannabis legalization among American adults, with one recent Pew survey finding that 88% believe cannabis should be legal for medical or recreational use — 57% said it should be legal for both medical and recreational use. Most respondents also said that recreational cannabis reform was positive for the economy and makes criminal justice more fair.

Similarly, another recent poll found that 28% of Americans have used at least one of seven psychedelic drugs included in the questionnaire, with LSD, psilocybin and MDMA as the most popular (at 14%, 13% and 9% reporting use, respectively). The poll, also conducted by YouGov, nods to the changing trends surrounding psychedelic acceptance, saying that “recent shifts, both in policy and public opinion, suggest the tide in the United States may be turning toward increasingly favoring psychedelic drugs.”

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