Responsibility through testing THE HANDBOOK Understanding Your Laboratory
Table of Contents Page3...Welcome Page 4...Submitting Samples Page 5...Setting the Standard Page 6...Top 10 Questions Page 7...Cannabinoid Definitions Page 8...Understanding Your Test Reports Page 9...Edible Test Reports Page 10...Pricing and Sample Rush Page 11...Business Hours Turnaround Times For more information visit us online at CANNLABS.COM 2 Responsibility through testing Summer 2012
Responsibility through testing In This Handbook... You will learn how to submit a sample How the lab operates How to read your test report What you should know about your product and the testing associated with it Pricing and additional charges And much more Summer 2012 Responsibility through testing 3
Submitting a Sample Sample Amount and Packaging Flower and other Raw Plant: - Required amount is minimum 0.5 grams to 1 gram Hash, wax, and oils: - Required amount is a minimum 0.5 grams Edibles, drinks, and topicals: - Required amount is 1 whole product Please submit your samples in a modest container or baggie. Additionally, please take care when gathering samples-especially of waxes and oils. Make sure the batch is as homogenous as possibleheat and stir batches prior to gathering a sample. What if your sample has an insufficient amount, or in a container that is impossible for us to extract from? The sample will be denied and you will be contacted to supply the correct amount. This will result in a longer turn-around time. Sampling of Your Product Please be aware that your numbers reflect the percentage of each cannabinoid assayed by weight (wt %). If your sample (not edibles) contains significant water weight, this will affect your final numbers, At this time, we are not offering a loss-on-drying test and do not "cure" or dry samples before analyzation, except for extremely wet cannabis flowers and waxes that must be dried prior to sample preparation. Therefore, if your data seems abnormally low, this is most likely why. Please be sure to submit only samples that have been thoroughly cured and dried for the benefit of your data and the patient buying your product! 4 Responsibility through testing Summer 2012
Setting the Standards In the industry of cannabis science the most talked about problem is what is the standard between labs. The standard in the industry is to hold ourselves accountable to provide the most accurate and professional results to our customers. CannLabs does this by following 40 years of science and documented research for optimized accuracy, reproducibility, and for the lowest error range. As for the MMJ industry we have gone above and beyond to be a licensed, zoned, and approved for industry use. How do we do it? At CannLabs we use HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). This instrumentation allows us to accurately quantify the cannabinoids without altering the molecular structure. Your results reflect how the plant produces cannabinoids in nature. How are we certified? All equipment in the lab is inspected and calibrated by a certified third party specialist on a regular basis. A certified third party provides all standards used in quantifying our cannabinoids that guaranties the standards are 99.99% pure and provide us with a certificate of analysis. Our method is backed by a 9-point calibration curve that gives us under 5% error range. This error range meets or exceeds IPA guidelines. We are the only Colorado based third party MMJ laboratory that is properly zoned and has a use permit. We are an approved licensed vendor with the MMED with the City of Denver. We have official badged employees and managers on staff approved by the MMED. Any and all product that is submitted for sampling is logged in and destroyed by a third party biohazard team. Our methods are based upon those used by the AHPA, WHO, FDA, DEA as well as the United Nations (UNIDOC). Our extraction processes are optimized for full edible preps, flowers and concentrates. This provides you with precise and accurate cannabinoid potency data for any and all MMJ products. CannLabs utilizes chromatographic grade eluents specifically designed for our instruments. CannLabs stringently adheres to good laboratory practices. Summer 2012 Responsibility through testing 5
Top 10 Questions What You Need to Ask Your Lab 1. Which cannabinoids do you test for and do you have third party reference standards for them? How do you store them? Are there certificates of analysis on file? 2. What instrumentation do you use? (HPLC, GC, TLC) Is it Qualitative (Identifies object), or Quantitative (measurement of object in quantity)? 3. Have you had all your laboratory instruments and equipment (pipettes, scales, etc ) calibrated and certified by a third party? 4. Do you test for the acidic cannabinoids as well? If not, due to instrumentation, what is your decarboxylation ratio of acidic to neutral? 5. What kind of samples do you analyze? Are your methods of extraction accurate and optimized for analysis? 6. What do you do with left over sample material? 7. Is your Lab licensed to carry samples or as an approved vendor? 8. What is your lab s tolerance for error/error range? 9. How many points are in your calibration curve on your instrument? When was the lab s last recalibration, and do they have real calibration curves that have a correlation coefficient of at least.99? 10. Is your laboratory properly zoned? 6 Responsibility through testing Summer 2012
Cannabinoid Definitions Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid (THCA) THCA is the main constituent in raw cannabis. THCA converts to D9-THC when burned, vaporized, or heated for a period of time at a certain temperature. THCA holds much of the anti-inflammatory properties, as well as anti-proliferative (inhibiting the cell growth in tumors/ cancer cells,) as well as anti-spasmodic (suppresses muscle-spasms.) Cannabidiolic Acid (CBDA) CBDA, similar to THCA, is the main constituent in cannabis that has elevated CBD levels. THCA and CBDA hold most of the anti-inflammatory properties that cannabis has to offer. Cannabinol (CBN) A psychoactive cannabinoid that comes about from the degradation of THC, there is usually very little CBN in a fresh plant. CBN potentiates the effects of THC. The degradation of THC, into CBN, is often described as creating a "couch lock" effect. Cannabidiol (CBD) With respect to the medical potential of the cannabis, CBD may hold the most promise for many serious conditions. CBD is a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid that is believed to reduce the psychoactive effects of THC. Smokers of cannabis with a higher CBD/THC ratio are less likely to experience anxiety. CBD may also inhibit cancer cell growth. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) The most abundant and widely known cannabinoid in marijuana, THC is the cannabinoid responsible for the main psychoactive effects patients are familiar with. The compound is a mild analgesic and cellular research has shown the compound has antioxidant activity. THC is believed to interact with parts of the brain normally controlled by the endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitter anandamide. The Endo Cannabinoid System Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found throughout the body: in the brain, organs, connective tissues, glands, and immune cells. In each tissue, the cannabinoid system performs different tasks, but the goal is always the same: homeostasis, the maintenance of a stable internal environment despite fluctuations in the external environment. Cannabinoids promote homeostasis at every level of biological life, from the sub-cellular, to the organism, and perhaps to the community and beyond. Paul Armentano; Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannaibs and Cannabinoids (4th edition) Summer 2012 Responsibility through testing 7
Understanding Your Test Reports When looking at your test reports there are certain sections that will help you understand your sample and what we reported to you. The Cannabinoid Profile On the far right side of the page in the first column you will see all the cannabinoids that were tested. They are in the neutral and acidic forms, or active and inactive. The acidic form is how the cannabinoids are naturally produced. One column over will show you the cannabinoids if they were to be decarboxylized and the most you could possibly get from the acid cannabinoids. This occurs with heat to Turn THC-A into Delta 9 THC. Over one more you will see the total active assayable cannabinoids. This is the cannabinoid content of your sample. The Visual Inspection Out of all the cannabinoids found, this is the ratio of cannabinoids to each other. This does not mean that your sample has 92% THC it is that 92% of the cannabinoids found were THC. If your sample is found to have mold, mites, powdery mildew, or anything else that might stand out in our inspection, it will be marked on a level deemed necessary by our lab director. A note will also be made below to explain what we have found. 8 Responsibility through testing Summer 2012
Understanding Your Edible Test The edible test reports and smokeable reports are the same with the exception of the visual inspection. This is replaced with labeling instructions for your product. The visual inspection will be typed out in the notes section. On the left part of the page you will see that your information is in milligrams and not percentage. This is to help you formulate or know the dosage of your product. The first column is and will always be in milligrams per gram (mg/g). Mg/g will tell you that for every 1g there are x-mg of cannabinoids. The next column over is your product net weight multiplied by the mg/g giving you the whole dose of your product in its entirety. Inactive cannabinoids are not added to the list but are referenced on the bottom. Summer 2012 Responsibility through testing 9
Consultation CannLabs staff is available for consultation on a number of different medical cannabis topics, including general scientific advice and budtending knowledge, formulations work, manufacturing compliance, and more. Please contact us for consulting rates. Test Pricing For details on CannLabs pricing for individual tests, test packages and monthly plans, please refer to the current pricing sheet. Prices are subject to change due to continued improvement on processes and expenses, so please consult with your account representative for current prices. NEED YOUR SAMPLE RUSHED? Rush orders are available for an additional surcharge above the normal testing costs and are as follows: 24 Hour Rush*: Flower, Kief, Trim $25/sample Concentrates, Oils, Edibles and Drinks $75/sample Same Day Rush*: Flower, Kief, Trim $50/sample *Must drop off before 10am Concentrates, Oils, Edibles and Drinks $150/sample 10 Responsibility through testing Summer 2012
Business Hours, Turnaround & Cut Off Times Lab Hours: 9-5:30 Monday through Thursday Fridays from 9-5 (Holidays Excluded) Turn Around Times: Turnaround times are dependent on Laboratory sample capacity. Normal turnaround is 3 Business Days unless otherwise notified. Cut Off Times: For a faster turnaround time samples should be in before 10am. Samples not submitted by 10am will be scheduled for the next days run. This will result in longer turn around time for your sample. If your sample is received on Friday, your results will be available the next week and will adhere to the 3-business day turnaround. Please schedule ahead of time for production of product. For a faster sample turnaround please reference the Rush section on page 10. Shipping Options and Services For Denver and Surrounding Areas Dropping off samples will always be encouraged and will insure a faster turnaround time. Any samples picked-up will be into the laboratory within 24hrs. Denver monthly clients can request a pick-up schedule for once a week and must drop off any additional samples for that week. Pick-ups in the surrounding areas will be on a pre-approved scheduled basis only once a week. Call for request. Courier service is available through Green Hornet: 970.274.2401 & Steamboat Carriers: 970.846.7873 call for pickups in your area. Summer 2012 Responsibility through testing 11
Responsibility through testing DISEASE AND HEALTH BENEFITS PAIN AND SLEEP PROBLEMS analgesic (reduces pain) anti-inflammatory (reduces inflammation) anti-insomnia (sleep aid) anti-sleep apnea (reduces sleep apnea in animal studies) CANNABINOIDS CBD CBDV CBC CBG CBN THC THCV THCA PSYCHIATRIC AND NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS CBD CBDV CBC CBG CBN THC THCV THCA anti-depressant (assists with depression) anxiolytic (relieves anxiety) anti-psychotic (reduces psychotic behavior) anti-spasmodic (relieves spasms) anti-epileptic (suppresses epileptic fits) neuroprotective (protects from neurodegenerative diseases) EATING AND DIGESTIVE DISORDERS intestinal anti-prokenetic (digestive aid) anti-emetic (reduces nausea) appetite stimulant (encourages eating and appetite) appetite suppressant (reduces desire to eat) anti-bacterial (effective against bacteria) anti-microbial (inhibits growth of microorganisms) antioxidant (fights free radicals in the bloodstream) CBD CBDV CBC CBG CBN THC THCV THCA SPECIFIC DISEASES AND OTHER BENEFITS anti-diabetic (reduces diabetic symptoms) anti-psoriatic (helps with itching/psoriasis) bone stimulant (helps with bone growth) anti-proliferative (inhibits tumor cell growth) immunosuppressive (help for lupus/rheumatoid arthritis) anti-ischemic (reduces risk of artery blockage) vasoconstriction (constricting of the blood vessels) vasorelaxant (relaxes veins for better blood flow) allograft stimulant (minimizes organ rejection) intraocular eye pressure (reduces pressure from glaucoma) This data is provided for informational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose, treat or prevent any medical related symptoms. The statements and information herein has not been approved or endorsed by the FDA. Please consult your physician for your medical needs. CBD CBDV CBC CBG CBN THC THCV THCA Copyright - CannLabs - 2012