Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

Articles

A civil lawsuit filed in Arkansas by a medical cannabis patient alleges that three cannabis growers and one testing laboratory inflated the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in numerous cannabis products.

Civil Lawsuit Accuses Arkansas' Largest Cannabis Testing Laboratory of Conspiring with Cultivators to Inflate THC Levels

Lo Friesen is the founder, CEO, and Chief Extractor of Heylo. With a background in chemistry and clinical research, Lo was inspired to explore cannabis as a medicine and to enter the emerging industry. She joined Eden Labs, a leading CO

 extraction equipment manufacturer to support and expand a Research and Development department. There she managed the development of their latest and greatest CO

 extraction system. In 2017, after working with Eden Labs and another cannabis processor, Lo launched Heylo with a mission to help people get more out of life with cannabis.

In this article, we explore the difference in chemical profile between fresh and dry cannabis flower and why manufacturers may choose to extract frozen or dry cannabis.


The Transformation of Cannabis Terpenes from Harvest to Shelf

David Hodes has written for many cannabis publications, and organized or moderated sessions at national and international cannabis trade shows. He was voted the 2018 Journalist of the Year by Americans for Safe Access, the world’s largest medical cannabis advocacy organization.

This installment discusses new methods of cannabis production and manufacturers reactions to the rise of the demand for cannabis artisan extracted products.

Targeting Consistent THC Levels in Sustainable Manufacturing and Processing

Brian C. Smith, PhD, is Founder, CEO, and Chief Technical Officer of Big Sur Scientific. He is the inventor of the BSS series of patented mid-infrared based cannabis analyzers. Dr. Smith has done pioneering research and published numerous peer-reviewed papers on the application of mid-infrared spectroscopy to cannabis analysis, and sits on the editorial board of Cannabis Science and Technology. He has worked as a laboratory director for a cannabis extractor, as an analytical chemist for Waters Associates and PerkinElmer, and as an analytical instrument salesperson. He has more than 30 years of experience in chemical analysis and has written three books on the subject. Dr. Smith earned his PhD on physical chemistry from Dartmouth College. Direct correspondence to: 

Part II of this series looks at the mechanism via which molecules move through HPLC columns and leads us to a discussion on the equations used to characterize separations.

Chromatography Theory,  Part II: How Separations Occur Illustrated and Quantitated

There goes another year in the books. This review of 2022’s extraction greatest hits takes a look at discoveries, advancements in technology, and other highlights from the year. This article also lays out some predictions for 2023, which is set up to be an interesting year with less access to funding that could slow the development of new technology or innovation in the extraction space.

Extraction 2022 Highlights and 2023 Predictions

In part I in a new series of columns, we begin a discussion of the theory of chromatographic separations. Our goal is to derive equations that will help you better perform experiments to optimize your separations.

Principles of Chromatography, Part I: Theory

Currently in the life cycle of the cannabis industry, it is not obvious where the heavy metal regulatory landscape will end up. Clearly, the big four are not enough, but what is a realistic panel that reflects the real world of cannabinoid production?

Expanding the Panel of Heavy Metal Contaminants in Cannabis and Hemp Beyond the Big Four:  What Is the Regulatory Evidence Telling Us?

The final part in this series of pitfalls to avoid and practicalities covers the importance of cleanliness, how many standards to run, how to spot outliers, and important experimental variables to control.

Quantitative Spectroscopy Pitfalls and Practicalities, Part IV: The Finale

In the work presented here, the author shares research from collecting reports from the New Jersey State laboratory (the Department of Health’s Environmental and Chemical Laboratory Services), which has conducted testing for the state’s medicinal program. He documented an average variance of 20% in potency levels from different samples of the same test lot.

Degree of Variance in THC Levels in Samples Taken from Single Lots  of Medical Cannabis

The third part in this series of pitfalls to avoid and practicalities to know about discusses the importance of validating and checking your calibration to ensure quality.