Cbd oil quality control

The only way to ensure our products are of the highest quality is to control every step of the supply chain process. From the planting of the seeds, through the complete growing process, to our propriety extraction methods and laboratory testing. Our product manufacturing and worldwide distribution. All the way to the shelves in the store. Our commitment to the highest standards at every stage, is our commitment to you. Our exclusive contract with largest producers of phytocannabinoid — rich cannabis in the world means that by using strict organic farming practices, with our naturally developed genetic strains of cannabis we control the plants from cultivation to harvesting.

Advancing Quality Control in the Cannabis and Hemp Industries

For a long time, it was believed that the psychoactivity of tetrahydrocannabinol THC , which is one of the primary active ingredients in Cannabis sativa L. However, since , over 1, scientific publications on the actions of cannabidiol CBD , which is the other major ingredient of Cannabis , proved that not only does CBD lack the psychoactivity of THC, but also exhibits a wide range of therapeutic benefits.

Due to the popular demand for CBD products, the widespread production and marketing of these treatment options must still undergo various quality control measures to ensure their safety and efficacy for consumers.

ElRoi Shutterstock. Unfortunately, this absence of strict FDA enforcement and oversight, as is required for any other pharmaceutical drug, has led to the widespread mislabeling of CBD products.

Between and , the FDA sent warning letters to 25 companies addressing concerns that they were violating FDA rules on making false claims about the curative properties of their CBD products. While both Colorado and Washington state require that any product derived from Cannabis is tested for microbiological contamination, these states follow very different guidelines to complete this assessment.

The microorganisms of particular concern when harvesting Cannabis for CBD and similar products include, but are not limited to:. Regardless of whether bacteria or fungi are being tested, all indicator tests provide qualitative and highly valuable information on the potential microbial contamination of a product, and whether more specific analytical tests will be required.

When testing for bacterial populations, it is common for these indicator tests to include total aerobic plate counts and total coliform tests. On the other hand, common fungal indicator tests include plate or film-based culture assays, in addition to total yeast and mold counts, which are used to determine whether pathogenic fungi are present.

It is not uncommon for traces of heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury to be found in a wide range of different agricultural products. While uncommon, the presence of these heavy metals, especially in higher concentrations, can encourage various health problems, such as cancer and heart disease, to arise. Since each analytical method offers a different sensitivity towards different heavy metals, companies can refer to the FDA and Untied States Pharmacopeia standardized methods for heavy metal analysis for guidance.

As of August , the state of Colorado required that all Cannabis plants undergo pesticide testing for several chemicals. One of the most common methods used to purify products and ensure that they are pesticide-free is through the use of flash chromatography. As the popularity of CBD products continues to intensify, researchers have investigated other analytical techniques for the determination of pesticide residues in CBD and Cannabis products.

These include dispersive solid-phase extraction dSPE , which has been determined to be a fast, reliable, and cost-effective tool for the determination of pesticide residues as well as cannabinoid contents in various products. After completing her Bachelor of Science in Toxicology with two minors in Spanish and Chemistry in , Benedette continued her studies to complete her Master of Science in Toxicology in May of During graduate school, Benedette investigated the dermatotoxicity of mechlorethamine and bendamustine, which are two nitrogen mustard alkylating agents that are currently used in anticancer therapy.

Cuffari, Benedette. AZoLifeSciences speaks to Dr. Silin Tang about her research into the importance of identifying salmonella in food. Urs Schaffner about his latest research into relieving allergy sufferers.

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to browse this site you agree to our use of cookies. More info. By Benedette Cuffari, M. Reviewed by Michael Greenwood, M. Detecting cannabis at the roadside. Source Corroon, J. Regulatory status of cannabidiol in the United States: A Perspective. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 3 1 ; Chromatography Special Issues 34 10 ; Download PDF Copy.

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CBD products must undergo various quality control measures to ensure in Cannabis sativa L., inhibited any therapeutic potential of this plant. The only way to ensure our products are of the highest quality is to control every step of the supply chain process. From the planting of the seeds.

We respect your privacy. All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story. As head farmer at Veritas Farms in Pueblo, Colo. As it turns out, those are also two of the most important factors that consumers should consider when choosing among the thousands of CBD products now being sold across the country. Such demand keeps Meyer—vice president for operations at Veritas Farms pictured above as well as a retired fire captain and an Air Force veteran—on alert.

As products flood the market, the lack of government oversight makes it hard to distinguish quality from junk. Not only could this result in not getting any of the desired health benefits of CBD, but it could also put your health in jeopardy.

We've updated our Privacy Policy to make it clearer how we use your personal data. We use cookies to provide you with a better experience, read our Cookie Policy. Growing adoption of cannabis in several medical fields such as cancer, mental disorders and chronic pain is expected to drive revenue growth in the near future.

The Importance of Quality Control in the Cannabis Industry

With debates over the legalization of cannabis and cannabis-derived products raging all over the world, it is time for the cannabis industry to start defining testing standards. The industry needs to take its responsibility to its consumers seriously by providing them with a consistent, quality product that carries the reassurance of standardized methods of testing. This article will discuss why cannabis quality control is important how it may be implemented. The cannabis, hemp, and cannabidiol CBD marketplace is constantly evolving as an increasing number of countries begin to have less stringent views on the legalization of cannabis and cannabis-derived products. It is imperative that the skills and knowledge of analytical testing evolve simultaneously with the rest of the industry to ensure the quality and safety of the end products.

Cannabis / Hemp Quality Control Testing

For a long time, it was believed that the psychoactivity of tetrahydrocannabinol THC , which is one of the primary active ingredients in Cannabis sativa L. However, since , over 1, scientific publications on the actions of cannabidiol CBD , which is the other major ingredient of Cannabis , proved that not only does CBD lack the psychoactivity of THC, but also exhibits a wide range of therapeutic benefits. Due to the popular demand for CBD products, the widespread production and marketing of these treatment options must still undergo various quality control measures to ensure their safety and efficacy for consumers. ElRoi Shutterstock. Unfortunately, this absence of strict FDA enforcement and oversight, as is required for any other pharmaceutical drug, has led to the widespread mislabeling of CBD products. Between and , the FDA sent warning letters to 25 companies addressing concerns that they were violating FDA rules on making false claims about the curative properties of their CBD products. While both Colorado and Washington state require that any product derived from Cannabis is tested for microbiological contamination, these states follow very different guidelines to complete this assessment. The microorganisms of particular concern when harvesting Cannabis for CBD and similar products include, but are not limited to:. Regardless of whether bacteria or fungi are being tested, all indicator tests provide qualitative and highly valuable information on the potential microbial contamination of a product, and whether more specific analytical tests will be required.

Is cannabis finally hitting the mainstream?

Up until now, the credibility of the cannabis testing industry in the United States has been under scrutiny. Like any new industry, several of the early pioneers were able to cut corners, and they did. Reporting inflated potency results and deeming products safe for human consumption, when in fact, hazardous contaminants were present at high levels, was not an uncommon occurrence. One of our goals is to help the cannabis testing industry gain more credibility by reassuring industry professionals, legislators, advocates, and patients that there are scientifically proven ways to ensure that accurate data is being produced.

Towards a better quality of cannabis products

Lisette Wijnkoop was educated as a pharmacist and have been working a lot in the field of natural medicines like homeopathy. In she started with cannabis as medicine in a specialised cannabis pharmacy in Groningen in The Netherlands. This project ended after one year and she started to work at Bedrocan, both as a quality controller of the processing of cannabis and as an adviser for patients, doctors and others in the medical field. At this moment Lisette is adviser for the medicinal cannabis division of Information Center Cannabis, an independant organisation. With Arno Hazekamp and others they are starting a foundation to organise courses for medical doctors and give information to other groups interested in medicinal use of cannabis. Arno Hazekamp studied molecular biology Bachelor degree and biopharmaceutical sciences Masters degree at Leiden University, the Netherlands. From he focused his PhD research on the medicinal aspects of the cannabis plant, and was actively involved in setting up the Dutch medicinal cannabis program, working closely with Bedrocan and the Office of Medicinal Cannabis. In the period Arno further specialized as a medical cannabis expert, working closely with government agencies, universities and small pharmaceutical companies. He is an active traveller and lecturer, and is considered a professionally trained medicinal cannabis advocate. Arno has published over 30 scientific papers on various aspects of medicinal cannabis. Over recent years, cannabis has been rapidly changing from a recreational drug to a medicine. In other words, an unregulated product used for fun or adventure is turning into a medicine for seriously ill patients in need of a reliable product. This transition has important consequences for the quality standards that we should expect from cannabis products.

Importance of Quality Control in Cannabis Testing Labs

As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, market pressure will increase on businesses to adopt standardized methods to improve product safety, consistency and predictability. To do this, cannabis companies should consider the business modes of consumer packaged goods CPG companies, according to Shehzad Hoosein, executive vice president of Cannabistry Labs , a cannabis research, development and branding company. In order to achieve this level of safety and quality, he says, companies should build teams that either have backgrounds in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets, or that undergo the same training and follow the same standard operating procedures as teams in those industries. Adopting FDA standards in the production of cannabis-infused foods and beverages can also help improve safety, he adds. Companies should follow FDA guidelines as if the FDA is actually auditing the cannabis industry, Hoosein says, to ensure they are using safe and high-quality ingredients in their products. In addition, to improve safety in overall production procedures, cannabis companies can look to Good Manufacturing Practices GMP , which have been outlined to ensure safety in food production. Hoosein points to testing as another area of the industry that needs standardized practices. While states with regulated cannabis markets have rolled out fairly robust testing regulations that require products to undergo pesticide, microbial and residual solvent testing, there is no standardized testing methodology across licensed labs. Some of them are close to each other, but quite honestly, some of them are very, very different. AOAC International is trying to develop standard, widely accepted testing methodology for the cannabis industry, Hoosein says.