Cannabis Sciences 2019

The world is filled with harmful pathogens that increasingly threaten the safety of our cannabis, food and beverages. And yet, testing labs still rely on the Petri dishes scientists invented over a century ago. At PathogenDX, we’re bringing microbial testing into the modern age. Our patent-winning scientists have invented a game-changing DNA-based microarray technology that accelerates the testing and identification of microbes (from E-coli to powdery mildew)—delivering accurate, quantifiable results in just six hours. With our products and support, growers, regulators and consumers get the vital results needed to save money and lives, and the information is shared across the industry’s only trackable platform to assure safety even further. Starting with Cannabis, we’re demonstrating the power of DNA-based science to promote a healthier, more secure future for us all.

Learning Objectives:

1. What differentiates you from other PCR platforms?  
2. Do you have to enrich to use this platform, like you do for other PCR Platforms?  
3. How fast can you add or subtract content from a slides and validate it?
 

As the cannabis industry continues to grow, it places a higher demand on producers and processing facilities to meet the increasing mandate for clean, refined cannabis-based products. While there are several commercialized solutions for solvent removal, concentration, and distillation at the lab and proof-of-principle scales, very few strategies exist for handling the amounts of solvent required to process cannabis at the industrial scale. This talk will review the current state of cannabis processing technology and where current processing bottlenecks exist. Strategies for scaling several evaporation technologies including wiped film (falling or rising film), rotary evaporation, and short path distillation will be discussed, as well as where each process fits in the cannabis processing workflow. Finally, recommendations will be given for a complete industrial scale cannabis processing workflow from handling of biomass, ethanol generation and extraction, extract concentration, and isolate purification. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Be able to identify or describe three different industrial scale evaporation/concentration techniques, and will know where each technique fits in the cannabis processing workflow 
2. Have a general working understanding of technologies used at the industrial scale, for processing cannabis biomass into concentrate for product introduction 

Quantitative methods for residual pesticides and mycotoxins analysis in cannabis should provide reliable coverage and robust methodology for the entire list of analytes to fulfill the state mandated safety tests.

The detection sensitivity and specificity offered by LC/MS/MS is advantageous for determining trace levels of most pesticides and mycotoxins in complex matrices. However, not all pesticides ionize efficiently by conventional ionization techniques such as electrospray or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization.  In such cases, trace level detection of pesticides in the presence of a highly complex matrix can be challenging and variable leading to inconsistencies in the results.  The combination of LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS utilises the advantages of both techniques and can provide quantitative and confirmatory analysis of challenging compounds that can be analysed by either approach.

In this study, a comprehensive evaluation of pesticide analysis in cannabis flower matrix was performed using both analytical techniques. Sample extraction procedures were optimized and a simple dispersive SPE method was used for clean-up of the initial acetonitrile extract. 

Methods met the regulatory requirements for cannabis pesticide residues and mycotoxins testing in the State of California. Overall method performance was evaluated by assessing recovery, matrix suppression, linearity, and sensitivity. The results from accuracy, precision and evaluation of matrix effects will be discussed. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Workflow for the analysis of pesticide residues and mycotoxins in cannabis using both LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS
2. Sample preparation using dSPE cleanup to reduce matrix effects for trace level detection of pesticides in cannabis. 

Analytical variation, most commonly referred to as - varying lab results - can be both inter-lab as well as intra-lab. Lab results permeate virtually all segments of the industry, from B2B purchasing decisions to consumer confidence and brand building. It is not new, nor is it unique to cannabis, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating or downright maddening to the business owners that are subjected to it. And to compound matters, heading into the second quarter of 2019, the economic consequences can be severe. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. We will learn about the Uncertainty of Measurement, the role it plays in analytical variation and how to minimize uncertainty. 
2. Understanding how to improve the quality of the measurement. 
 

What makes cannabis potency analysis different from other testing done on cannabis? It is the only test for which there is no “pass” or “fail” outcome but rather the result determines the monetary value and optimal use of cannabis. 

As the legal cannabis industry gains legitimacy on an international level, new regulations are changing the marketplace. While the regulated sale of cannabis creates myriad business opportunities, those same regulations lay the groundwork for new and increased regulatory scrutiny. Many of the testing requirements of cannabis are fulfilled by laboratories (e.g., residual solvents, heavy metals, pesticides) but in-house testing is becoming more popular with cannabis companies. Forward-thinking businesses are increasing in-house testing to refine their products, increase quality control, and create an extra line of defence to comply with ever-increasing regulatory requirements.

Today, the HPLC is considered the “gold standard” for testing cannabis potency. Yet, THC and CBD measurements vary widely across testing laboratories using HPLCs. Moreover, there is no universal cannabis potency testing protocol to enable standardization. There have also been reports, particularly in the United States, that licensed laboratories bump up potency results to satisfy customers.

The HPLC does not offer a practical and efficient solution to meet the growing demand for in-house testing solutions along the cannabis supply chain. The capex and opex costs linked to the HPLC pose a challenge to most industry players. Beyond the high cost of an HPLC device, testing requires a skilled lab technician to operate, complex sample preparation, use and disposal of hazardous materials, interpretation of results, all while the sample itself is destroyed. 

In the best-case scenario, the HPLC is effective for single flower accuracy but it is not viable for reaching analytical conclusions related to batch consistency challenged by the flower’s heterogenous nature; no two flowers are the same.  HPLC testing is not efficient for high frequency on-line testing and for providing results in real time for decision making on the spot, whether it be for R&D, QA or transactional support. 

NIR spectroscopy (NIRS), however, offers a viable alternative. It is non-destructive since it tests samples in the solid phase leaving flowers intact, it is easy to use, quick, affordable, accurate when combined with the right data science, no special skillset is required to operate, there are is not residual hazardous waste and its small footprint enables portability. 

GemmaCert sees a rising demand for new spectroscopy-based solutions, understands that in-house testing will become increasingly popular with cannabis companies and the sooner rather than later point-of-sale testing will prove standard for business-to-business cannabis transactions. GemmaCert’s technology is best positioned for transactional and comparative purposes, offering in-the-moment information that a third-party laboratory cannot. As a result, GemmaCert is on track to become the field leader for in-house testing in the cannabis industry.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understanding the natural and technological challenges of testing cannabis potency
2. Introduction to NIR spectroscopy as a reliable solution for advancing cannabis quality assurance 
 

If your lab has decided to apply for ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation as your state requires it or to demonstrate the reliability of your lab results to potential customers, you may think what next? Achieving and maintaining the necessary compliance such as ISO 17025:2017 accreditation is a time-consuming, costly, and complicated process.  It includes managing and tracking employee training and competency,  Standard Operating Protocol (SOP's) management, risk management, and instrument maintenance and calibration. An informatics solution such as Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) can make this job much easier.

Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) enables automation and ensures proper process control, tracks standard and laboratory-developed testing methods, manages instrument maintenance and calibration schedules, documents, staff training, and audits required to meet ISO 17025:2017. Besides, LIMS also offer instrument integration for rapid data capture and report generation, support electronic signatures in workflows, This, in turn, brings in efficiency, productivity and helps laboratories in consistently producing precise and accurate tests.

Learning Objectives: 

1. ISO 17025 Certification helps cannabis testing labs to prove their technical capabilities, strong commitment to quality, operational efficiency and management practices. The presentation will highlight both the management and technical requirements that a cannabis testing laboratory should meet in order to be ISO 17025: 2017 compliant.

2. As a part of ISO 17025: 2017 standards, laboratories are required to manage and maintain Standard Operating Protocol (SOPs), test methods,  test requests and testing instructions,  staff training,  and instrument maintenance and calibration. Managing all these requirements is important to maintain operational quality and efficiency in operations.  Therefore, the presentation will highlight where a LIMS can assist in creating a quality management system to follow ISO 17025 regulatory guidelines. 

With the legalization process currently taking place in the US, finding new techniques for the fast, cheap, and comprehensive analysis of Cannabis sativa components has become a major point of interest. Different analytical tools have been widely used for the characterization of the main components of the plant, cannabinoids and terpenes. Both these classes of compounds can be analyzed with the use of the gas chromatograph coupled with the mass spectrometer (GC-MS), and with the vacuum ultraviolet detector (GC-VUV). 

In this research, we used these two technologies to analyze cannabinoids and terpenes found in C. sativa; the sensitivity of the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode used in the GC-MS allowed for the analysis of impurities, while the GC-VUV was more adapt for a potency testing. Terpenes were analyzed on GC-VUV due to the possibility of the instrument to differentiate between isobaric compounds, and to deconvolve coeluting peaks that otherwise would need a longer chromatographic separation.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Why GC is a necessary tool for R&D and QC labs in the Cannabis world.
2. How new technologies are advancing to give a more comprehensive understanding of the plant.

Automating Cannabis Testing with Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) Software systems automate not only key aspects of laboratory testing, but provide a comprehensive data management solution including data on raw material testing, finished product analysis, analysis of growers, strain variation, and edible analysis. LIMS can facilitate workflow creation, internal chain of custody leveraging positive ID (1D, 2D, RFID), shelf life studies, automated reporting, instrument integration, achieving regulatory compliance (ISO 17025), increasing communication across the organization, secure data sharing, secure web portals for client access for achieving operational excellence. LIMS also manage employee permissions in the system, as well as access and privileges to various aspects of the software, maintaining an electronic record of instrument calibrations, repairs and maintenance, employee training, laboratory certifications, inventory management, along with vendor information, expiration dates, electronic data management from direct instrument import, to automated reporting, automated limit and email alerts. In addition to saving time automation enables seamless regulatory compliance and reporting with METRC integration. With a secure LIMS and an integrated web portal, users can access sample testing status and results in real-time, 24/7. Users can also access final COA’s, and other reports from the web portal in pdf form as well as an electronic data deliverable. Primary reasons for implementing LIMS and automation are to ensure high quality manufactured products, higher data quality via the elimination of transcription errors, increased productivity and communication, maximizing resources, achieving regulatory compliance and increasing profitability. 

Learning Objectives:

1. The role that LIMS and Laboratory automation plays in improving analysis turnaround, efficiency, enhanced data quality and regulatory compliance. 
2. Understanding METRC Integration
3. Understanding the impact of automation on laboratory operations, from positive ID to instrument integration through final reporting