Women In Grow: Leadership in Cannabis Genetics and Cultivation

Here, we bring you our top five recent articles covering our newest publication and supplement, the latest Stuck on Compliance blog, data from the National Hemp Report, and cannabis convictions in Maryland.

In this latest installment of Noid Knowledge we are joined by Julie Kowalski, a leading mind in analytical chemistry and cannabis testing. Julie has arranged a very compelling symposium for Pittcon entitled Cannabis Aroma: Advances and Challenges in Determining and Commercializing Cannabis Product Quality Attributes. It is taking place on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, starting at 9:30 AM in room 209. The session features top notch speakers, including several previous guests of this show, and yours truly, discussing the next generation of quality assessment in cannabis.

Despite strong science and widespread legalization, federal cannabis policy remains outdated due to cultural stigma. This blog explains how, in order to shift public opinion and policy, the industry must emphasize safety, standards, and professionalism—especially through practices like cGMP—to convince skeptics.

In the final part of this episode, Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn discuss the need for a national entity to centralize cannabis data collection, moving from snapshot data to continuous updates. They emphasize the importance of accurate lab data and adverse event tracking, suggesting QR codes on packaging to report issues. Yasha suggests harsher consequences for result manipulation and suggests collaboration between state departments and federal entities to support underfunded regulators. They also discuss the potential benefits of off-the-shelf testing and the importance of stability testing. Finally, Yasha shares his top three reading recommendations for the audience.

View our interactive March/April 2025 digital edition.

Smoking remains the most common method of cannabis consumption, particularly for patients seeking rapid relief. Despite this, little is known about what defines a high-quality smokable product. This study investigated how varying water activity levels (0.45 aW, 0.65 aW, 0.85 aW) affect cannabis flower’s chemistry and perceived smoke quality. Chemical analyses showed that 0.65 aW yielded the highest terpene content and comparable cannabinoid delivery to 0.45 aW, while 0.85 aW significantly reduced cannabinoid levels. Sensory panelists noted minimal differences between 0.45 and 0.65 aW samples, though harshness and ash color varied. Higher water activity increased moisture and product weight—suggesting economic benefits for producers. These findings offer insights into optimizing water activity to balance chemical, sensory, and financial factors in cannabis production.