38 posts tagged with "Testing"

Like millions of Americans, some of the folks here at Confidence Analytics are big fans of the show Breaking Bad. With knock-out performances by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, and an extremely intense script guided by showrunner Vince Gilligan, the series delivers exciting drama with highly-relatable characters, offering a chance to reflect on the war on drugs and the far reaching effects it has on the lives of even the unwitting. As chemists ourselves, we appreciate the show’s mostly true-to-reality approach when it comes to the chemistry involved in the storyline (they actually hired chemists to work as consultants on the show1), as well as the fun chemistry trivia that is peppered throughout the series including some rather clever trick questions. There’s only a little bit of hand-waving that goes on regarding exactly how Mr. White is able to achieve enantiospecificity without using a stereospecific ingredient like ephedrine. I guess that part’s just left up to our imagination.

We’ve received many customer calls and visitor questions over the years concerning one seemingly arbitrary number. This number is featured in the important calculation for “THCmax”, or total available THC as we like to call it. The calculation looks something like this:

THCmax = THC + 0.877 * THCA

While most growers strive to improve their product with careful growing techniques and handling, there are a few who attempt to employ more…questionable means. As an analytical laboratory operating in a competitive market, the receipt of doctored samples puts us in an awkward position. We’re not generally in the business of turning away samples, but there are times when scientific integrity demands it. While not pleasant, those moments of confrontation allow us moments like this – when we can assure our honest clients (the vast majority) that we are paying attention and we do care about fairness in testing. We will not be complicit in practices that give one or more growers an unfair advantage over others.

In addition to the tests required under WAC 314-55-10, new testing requirements are being implemented for Medical Cannabis as it comes under the purview of I502. The new section, WAC 246-70-050, requires testing for 13 prohibited pesticides for all flower, trim, leaves, or other plant matter. Concentrates require testing for 15. The Washington State Dept. of Health issued a post on their Medical Marijuana web page naming those black-listed pesticides.We’ve compiled a bit of information on these chemicals here to give you a peek; note that in the info below, “flower” is used as shorthand for “flower, trim, leaves, or other plant matter.” Stay tuned for updates and a look at heavy metals and aflotoxin/mycotoxin testing.

Whenever you open a fresh bag of cannabis, you probably note a variety of smells that come forth. It might smell like skunks, flowers, or berries. The cornucopia of aromas found in the many phenotypes of cannabis out there are numerous and varied. Terpenes are not limited to just marijuana. Terpenes are naturally pre-sent in a wide variety of plants and they can also be created by and synthesized by living organisms.

Anyone who uses solvents to extract Cannabinoids on a large scale will tell you that the solvents are expensive. Not only is it cost-effective to recover and reuse the solvents, it is wise to use only as much solvent as is necessary, and not more. Using excess solvent lengthens the purge time and reduces the capacity of your equipment.

A look at microbial testing in I502, as featured in November 2014’s Marijuana Venture Magazine.

It’s a terribly frustrating experience. Heartbreaking, even. You’ve invested a lot of time and money into this incredible plant. You know every plant in your operation by heart. You have put all the right ingredients into them, including your own blood, sweat and tears. Your hard work has yielded something that looks beautiful, smells incredible and tastes delicious. But then your phone buzzes, and it’s the testing laboratory. Your numbers are looking great, but the sample has failed the microbial testing. In a single phone call, your hard work has been devalued by two-thirds in the marketplace. How did this happen? Why? Most importantly, how do you keep it from happening again? Let’s take a closer look at these questions and open the discussion on this troublesome issue.

Neem oil. 91% Isopropyl alcohol. Hydrogen peroxide. Capsaicin extracts. These are the treatments growers recommend when you ask them how to cure your mold, mite, and mystery problems. Do they work? Some swear by their recipe, but do we have the data to show their efficacy? Your trusted friends from across the spectrum of hobby gardeners to agricultural producers swear they’ve saved crops with their recipe, but can they provide the proof in numbers? Here’s the thing: they might all work or they might not, and generally one or all of them will be tried out of frustration and even desperation, but is the investment worth it? We think it’s time to find out.