Cannabis Testing

BTS #32 Mark Scialdone PhD on Cannabis Chemistry History, Hydrogenated Cannabinoids, Science and Art

In this behind-the-scenes episode we sit down with Mark Scialdone PhD, a chemist responsible for inventing hydrogenated cannabinoid acids, semi-synthetic cannabinoids that could be effective at battling certain types of cancer. We discuss the history of cannabinoid science, controversy around cannabinoid boiling points, how Mark learned from his research with catnip essential oil hydrogenation and how he adapted the technology for Cannabis essential oil, the importance of balancing science with art, the future of Cannabis research, his role in helping the American Chemical Society’s Cannabis Chemistry subdivision get started, and much more.

This episode was cut for time. To listen to the extended 2+ hour version, visit www.Patreon.com/CuriousAboutCannabis

BTS #29 Kyle Boyar on Microbiological Testing, Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, LIMS

In this behind-the-scenes episode we sit down with Kyle Boyar, vice chair and scholarship chair for the Cannabis Chemistry subdivision of the American Chemical Society and Director of Product Science at TagLeaf. We talked about the ways Cannabis testing labs test Cannabis samples for microbiological contaminants, how microbiological testing can go wrong, other issues facing Cannabis testing, controversy around a medical condition called Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS), and more!

This conversation was cut to fit our new 1.5 hour limit. To listen to the entire 2 hour conversation, join our community on Patreon at www.Patreon.com/CuriousAboutCannabis

Enjoy and stay curious!

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BTS #28 Jacqueline von Salm PhD on Cannabis Terpenes, Drugs From Nature, Chemical Ecology

In this behind-the-scenes episode we sit down with organic chemist Jackie von Salm PhD (@terp_queen_phd on Instagram), who was a recent winner of the ElSohly award given to outstanding researchers in the Cannabis space. Her team recently discovered the presence of a terpene common only among certain varieties of Cannabis, which is not tested for currently among most Cannabis testing labs and has largely been excluded from the discussion when talking about categorizing Cannabis varieties by chemical profile. We also discuss the process of discovering natural products suitable for drug development, how chemistry is interconnected with ecology and psychology, what she wants to see from future Cannabis research and much more!

Jackie is a co-founder and CSO of the company Psilera Bioscience which is dedicated to exploring the potential of psychoactive natural products to treat mental health disorders.

Learn more about Psilera Bioscience at www.psilera.com

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BTS #27 Austin Flohrschutz MS of TruPotency on CBD Product Fraud, Safety Testing, Salvia Research

In this behind-the-scenes episode, we talk with Austin Flohrschutz, the Science Director for TruPotency.com, a CBD retailer that performs extensive third party testing on CBD products to screen for fraudulent or mislabeled products. At the time that we spoke, Austin informed me that they had tested 400 products, and 30% of those products passed testing. The vast majority of failures were for mislabeled potency. Around 0.5% failed for contaminants like heavy metals or residual solvents. Through this conversation we discuss the extent of CBD product fraud in the market, what TruPotency has seen regarding CBD product quality, issues related to cannabinoid testing, research into the psychedelic Salvinorin A from Salvia divinorum and implications for alternative opioid therapies, and much more.

Enjoy and stay curious!

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BTS #18 Kevin McKernan of Medicinal Genomics on Cannabis Genetics, GMO Cannabis, Pest Resistance

In this behind-the-scenes (BTS) episode we sit down with Kevin McKernan, the founder of Medicinal Genomics, who has been working for years on mapping and understanding the Cannabis genome. Our 2 hour conversation spanned many topics including basic misunderstandings about genetics, the genes responsible for cannabinoid production in Cannabis, how genes sometimes do unexpected things, how Cannabis genes are related to pest resistance, philosophical and ethical issues related to genetic modification of organisms and much more.

The pre-print research article referenced in this conversation can be found here: https://www.medicinalgenomics.com/breakthrough-cannabis-genomics-study/

Medicinal Genomics: www.medicinalgenomics.com

Kannapedia: www.kannapedia.net

BTS #17 Murphy Murri on Cannabis Extraction, Hydrocarbon Safety, Aquatek, Standardized Extracts

In this behind-the-scenes (BTS) episode we sit down with Cannabis educator Murphy Murri to talk all about Cannabis extracts and extraction technology. Our conversation covered a wide range of topics including the value of mentorship, how to stay safe while working with hydrocarbon solvents, how to produce standardized extracts using chromatography, the variables that influence an extract’s texture and consistency, and much more.

I hope you enjoy! Stay curious, and take it easy.

Murphy Murri’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/murphymurri

Sano Gardens: https://sanogardens.com/

Future 4200: www.future4200.com

Good Life Gang: www.goodlifegang.tech

BTS #15: Daniel Hayden PhD of Extractioneering on Carbonated Extracts, Spectral Fingerprinting, and the Vilification of THC

In this behind-the-scenes (BTS) interview we sit down with Dr. Daniel Hayden of Extractioneering to talk all about extraction and Cannabis extract quality. In this conversation we discuss misconceptions about hydrocarbon extraction techniques, the meaning of the term “full spectrum”, how Extractioneering makes its carbonated extracts, using spectral fingerprinting to identify the quality of extracts, and much more.

This interview has an accompanying video available on the Curious About Cannabis YouTube Channel.

Learn more about Extractioneering at www.extractioneering.com

BTS #13 Ellen Parkin MS on Cannabis Testing, Trouble with Edibles, Working with Labs

In this behind-the-scenes (BTS) episode, we speak with Ellen Parkin, MS, a quality manager at a Cannabis testing laboratory in Oregon. Ellen has been involved in Cannabis testing since the early years of regulated Cannabis testing in Oregon and has worked as a laboratory technician, a laboratory director, and a quality manager. Over the years her work has gravitated towards identifying quality control issues related to testing Cannabis infused edibles. In this conversation we discuss some of the issues she has run into regarding testing edibles, what laboratories do to understand whether their data is accurate, how to work with a lab to troubleshoot unforeseen test results, and more.

I hope you enjoy! Stay curious, and take it easy.

BTS #10 Steve Albarran CEO of Confident Cannabis on Transparency, Lessons from Big Data, Chemotypes, Market Trends

In this behind-the-scenes (BTS) episode we sit down with Steve Albarran, the CEO of Confident Cannabis, a technology company that has been working to bring transparency to the Cannabis industry through various software solutions that allow labs, producers, and consumers to share product information and test results seamlessly. In this conversation we explore how Confident Cannabis got started and where the company is headed, insights that can be taken from the data that Confident Cannabis has managed, lessons that users have gleaned from Confident Cannabis’ chemotype visualization tool called Connect, trends in the marketplace, and much more.

I hope you enjoy. Stay curious, and take it easy.

BTS #09 Justin Fischedick PhD on Cannabis Terpenes, Chemovars, Lab Testing

In this behind-the-scenes (BTS) interview we sit down with Dr. Justin Fischedick, a natural products researcher that performed some of the early Cannabis research investigating the terpenes in unique Cannabis varieties. Justin describes how he came to research Cannabis terpenes, how his colleague Arno Hazekamp came up with the term “chemovar” and what it means, what lessons they learned from mapping terpene differences between Cannabis varieties, issues related to testing terpenes in Cannabis, and limitations related to interpreting research about Cannabis and other natural products. Running at over an hour and a half, this interview is packed with information, so I hope you enjoy. Stay curious!

UPDATE: This conversation took place in early Fall of 2019, near the beginning of the media’s coverage of the “vaping crisis”. You will hear us reference the number of deaths associated with vaping at 13, however by the end of media coverage in December, this number increased to approximately 60 deaths and nearly 3000 reported injuries related to vaping.

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