Analytical Methods

In light of recent headlines concerning cannabis laboratories throughout the country, Cannabis Science and Technology reached out to Douglas Duncan, Laboratory Director of Kairos Labs in Detroit, MI and member of our Editorial Advisory Board for more information. In this interview, Duncan shares his perspectives on lab shopping, major challenges in the industry today, and innovations in cannabis testing laboratories for the future. He also shares insights into consumer practices and the potential effects of a federal rescheduling of cannabis.

Here, we discuss the importance of calibration metrics and how to measure calibration quality.

The first part of this column examines the fractured nature of state-based regulations and compares it with the federal limits for pharmaceutical products and dietary supplements.

Cannabis Science Conference Spring was held in Kansas City, Missouri from May 7-9, 2024. Here, we provide highlights from this exciting event.

Live from the Cannabis Science Conference, Julie Kowalski shares her perspective on the conference.

Our sister publication, LCGC International, sat down with Zacariah Hildenbrand, PhD, Chief Science Officer of Infinity Water Solutions and Partner of Medusa Analytical, for more insight into various trends in cannabis testing.

Here, we will introduce systematic error, discuss how to measure signal-to-noise ratios, and more.

A look at the advocacy and guidance conducted by the ACIL within the cannabis industry.

Here, we begin a new column series on calibration science. The goal of these columns will be to teach you the foundational theory behind how to calibrate analytical instruments that are used for quantitative analysis in the cannabis analysis industry, such as potency and pesticide analyzers.

The big four heavy metals required by the majority of states is totally inadequate, but how many are actually worthy of consideration? Here, Rob Thomas takes a look at the other metals and how ICP-MS can be used.

Leading up to the virtual symposium, “Microbial Testing in Cannabis: Basics, Guidance, and Applications,” Cannabis Science and Technology held a poll on its LinkedIn page, offering viewers the chance to ask a question for panelists to answer during the presentation.

It is impossible to obtain potency accuracy in cannabis analysis. Here, we suggest some solutions to the problem.

Cannabis Science Conference Fall was held in Providence, Rhode Island from September 20-22, 2023. Here we provide highlights from this exciting event.

Here, we explore how the different parameters in the Master Resolution Equation relate to Fs, and what that means for chromatographic experiments.

In this new interview series, we sit down with several speakers from 2023 Cannabis Science Conference events to learn about their expertise and backgrounds in the cannabis industry. Join us to learn more about Dr. Peter Grinspoon, Jini Glaros, Dr. Miyabe Shields, and Adam Jacques.

We finally present the Master Resolution Equation for chromatography, which combines all three measures of separation quality, and an understanding of these parameters will go a long way towards allowing you to rationally develop chromatographic methods.

See the program overview for the upcoming Cannabis Science Conference Fall in Providence, Rhode Island September 20-22nd.

Cannabis Science Conference Spring was held in Portland, Oregon from April 19-21, 2023. Here we provide a few highlights from the event.

A review of the concept of separation factors and a discussion on developing a method for measuring peak width including triangulation followed by the introduction of the concept of chromatographic resolution for a pair of peaks.

Part IV of this series discusses the capacity factor of chromatographic peaks to calculate separation factors, whose value tells us how well two peaks are or aren’t separated. We then introduce the reality of peak widths and how they impact separation quality.

Part III of this series will delve into understanding how to optimize methods for chromatographic separations, Smith will also introduce the concepts of capacity factor and selectivity.

Part II of this series looks at the mechanism via which molecules move through HPLC columns and leads us to a discussion on the equations used to characterize separations.

In part I in a new series of columns, we begin a discussion of the theory of chromatographic separations. Our goal is to derive equations that will help you better perform experiments to optimize your separations.

Dr. Anthony Macherone of Agilent Technologies discusses some of the unique challenges when developing testing methods for cannabis products.

Cannabis testing laboratories play an important role in ensuring consumer safety and quality throughout the industry. These laboratories face many challenges—from the variety of samples in the industry to changing regulations and testing requirements and everything in between. In this interview, Sarah Ahrens, Founder and CEO of True Labs for Cannabis LLC, explains her philosophy and approach behind building her cannabis analytical testing laboratory in New Jersey. She also covers current developments in the cannabis testing industry and what needs to be done to ensure it has a transparent and productive future that benefits producers and consumers alike.

In this study, Tween 20 amounts were increased in 1% increments while monitoring two different factors.

The data presented here document the phytochemical composition of a large dataset of Group III cannabis cultivars and allow for the identification of distinct sub-classes.

This article explores five common cannabis tests and the benefits of incorporating filter plates.

We finish looking at liquid chromatography with a deeper examination of the mechanics, physics, and chemistry of different spectrometers that are used in analytical laboratories.

This technical piece is focused on the separation of the individual enantiomers of each compound mentioned above, as well as the combined separation of the compounds from each other for a fast, reliable quantification.