Achieving Quality Analytical Testing of Cannabis Using LIMS

Presenter: Arun Apte, CEO at CloudLIMS

Venue: 2019 Cannabis Science Conference East, Baltimore, USA

Abstract: The safety of cannabis-based products is of paramount importance since it is not regulated by the Federal government. For its safe consumption, it must be evaluated on two parameters. First, the effectiveness of cannabis products as a drug to treat specific medical ailments, often termed as drug potency. Second, cannabis products should be correctly labeled and tested for any prohibitive additives or adulterants. Labeling is a part of FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 and helps consumers to check the product composition before purchasing it. In order to ensure consumer safety, it is essential that the products are correctly labeled and are free from toxic contaminants. Cannabis testing laboratories perform a battery of tests on cannabis dry flowers and final consumable product to ensure that they are safe for public consumption. Some of the major tests performed are moisture content analysis, cannabinoids and terpenoids analysis, pesticide and herbicide analysis, microbial screening, tests to determine the presence of heavy metals, etc..