The Rising Threat to the US Cannabis Industry: How THC Inflation and Laboratory Shopping are Undermining Trust

Author: Arun Apte

Journal: Cannabis Science and Technology, June 21, 2023

Abstract: A tutorial article that delineates the rising threats of “lab shopping” and THC inflation to the US cannabis industry and proposes solutions to overcome them.

Cannabis testing labs in the US are facing the pressing concern of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) inflation. Producers are indulging in “lab shopping,” which involves engaging with laboratories that artificially inflate THC numbers. Laboratories join in to keep customers returning to them. The laboratories that uphold their scientific integrity and report true results are shutting down. The practice is undermining consumer confidence, damaging the industry’s integrity. This tutorial article delineates the rising threat to the US cannabis industry and proposes solutions to overcome them.