What: The Science of Cannabinoid and Microbial Testing
Where: Right Here
When: Wednesday, February 27th at 11 AM PST
Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs is a San Diego-based cannabis testing lab that provides full service testing using PhD chemists trained and experienced in the scientific industry. We understand the results we release directly affect the people consuming the products we test, which is why the analytical methods we use will always be held to (or above) the current legal standards. All cannabis testing is completed in-house using the most up-to-date analytical instrumentation. Our clients can rest assured they are getting the most precise, accurate results possible in a timely manner at the right price.
Looking forward to a robust conversation about the importance of IPM as it relates to that all-too-critical final test that gives us access to the consumer market. We are so very fortunate to have @arojo joining us for this AMA. It should be a good one!
My pleasure but I am a mere servant to very bright PHD chemists that own and operate our State licensed lab.
I am typing the answers out for your members but the answers will be given by our Co-founder and CSO, David Marelius who holds a PHD in Chemistry from SDSU & UCSD
HI Antonio, and thank you for taking the time to do this.
I work with a lot of professional edible makers, extractors and growers that need to use labs to get to market. They are constantly struggling with erroneous results from various labs all over the country and results that fall way outside of the MOE for the same sample. What would you suggest clients do to ensure the lab they are using remains as accurate as possible? What questions should they ask when "interviewing " a lab to use on a regular basis?
Thank you again for doing this, and answering questions!!
My experience with Labs has been so MEH… Results vary widely from sample to sample. Hell ive seen different numbers come from the same sample. Makes me wonder if this is really a science or a sham. hopefully we get good info today
Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs is a San Diego-based cannabis testing lab that provides full service testing using PhD chemists trained and experienced in the scientific industry. We understand the results we release directly affect the people consuming the products we test, which is why the analytical methods we use will always be held to (or above) the current legal standards. All cannabis testing is completed in-house using the most up-to-date analytical instrumentation. Our clients can rest assured they are getting the most precise, accurate results possible in a timely manner at the right price.
What sets us a part from our competition is not our competitive pricing our fastest turn-around times. It is not even the fact that we are fully owned and operated by PHD chemists that actually have experience in the Cannabis industry. It is the fact that we partner with our clients. We go beyond their expectation and offer free consultations for investigation or remediation. I do not think there is another Lab in the State that can say the same.
I will begin by dissecting your paragraph and address all 3 concerns/questions you asked.
The reason why your clients are receiving different results from each lab is due to the level of experience of their staff and their sensitivity of their instrumentation.
As far as ensuring if your lab is capable of providing accurate analysis I would test the lab by sending in “spiked samples” meaning adding in pesticides, metals, cannabinoids etc… to a clean sample at known concentrations and seeing if the lab results match those concentrations.
As far as the interview process to a new lab I would ask what instrumentation they use and I would ask for their limits of detection (LOD).
Pesticides should be done on both an LCMS-MS (liquid chromatography mass spectrometry - mass spectrometry) and a GCMS-MS (gas chromatography mass spectrometry) - specifically, a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer
We apologize for the bad experience you had with labs in the past. Unfortunately that has been the history within cannabis labs in our country. This is the main reason we started our lab, in order to bring integrity and provide consistent accurate results
It is important for everyone to perform their own due-diligence when selecting a lab in order to guarantee the level of experience among their staff as well as the sensitivity of their instruments.
We can only speak for the lab portion of your question.
On our end we have to run a significantly higher number of tests due to the regulations (potency, pesticides, solvents, heavy metals, water activity, microbial, mycotoxins, foreign material). This leads producers to ensure that their raw materials are held to a higher standard than most non-cannabis goods sold on the shelf.
There are many dangers because this is a public health issue. States should mandate testing in order to assure that consumers are aware of what they are getting when they purchase cannabis products and that they are safe to consume. This will hold cultivators and producers to a higher standard.
My question is this: