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The cannabis industry has experienced significant growth momentum in the last decade as several states and countries outside the US have legalized cannabis for medical and recreational use. Alongside it, the nature of the products in the market has diversified and consumers now have a wide spectrum of products to choose from. This has prompted a shift from flower, which has been the mainstay of the unregulated market, towards more sophisticated products created from extracts. Given the high value of cannabis extraction as a niche, starting a cannabis extraction facility can be a potentially lucrative venture. However, the regulatory environment around cannabis is rather nuanced, with fluid laws that change from one state to another. This tutorial article outlines the key considerations that must be put in place when setting up a cannabis extraction facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the recreational cannabis market matures, and the medical market relies on precise dosage, there are some surprising new ideas in processing and sustainability being explored. This installment will discuss new methods of cannabis oil production, and manufacturers' reaction to the rise of the demand for cannabis artisan extracted products. We'll also take a look at how new gene technologies are allowing growers to enhance the THC content in their plants even to the point of a specific THC target level. Finally, we'll talk about safety as an ongoing issue in cannabis manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on research initiative submitted to the Pennsylvania State Department of Health involved evaluating the effectiveness of solvent-based extraction methods for eliminating or substantially diminishing microbial contamination from feed materials during the extract manufacturing process. Topics include testing for the hydrocarbon extraction pathway and the carbon dioxide pathway; and Department of Health quality standards when contaminated plants were utilized as feed material.

In the article, the author examines the degree of variance in the levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in medical cannabis products based on data from the New Jersey state laboratory. Also cited are the analysis of the percentage of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and relative standard deviation (RSD), as well as the average potency of the cannabis strains.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced its agreement with the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) conclusion that cannabis has medical benefits. The HHS has released a 252-page review supporting the FDA's recommendation to reschedule cannabis from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug. The final decision on cannabis' reclassification will be made by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) after reviewing research on the plant. The HHS's full review was not initially made public, but now all attention is on the DEA to determine the scheduling of cannabis. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents an interview with the 2022 Cannabis Science Conference East Plenary Speaker and Doctor David Meiri. He discusses the Technion Israel Institute and his work at the laboratory of Cancer Biology and Cannabinoid Research. It shares the cannabis laws and his passion for his work in research.

An interview with Abbey Roudebush, Director of Government Affairs for Americans for Safe Access (ASA), is presented. Topics include explains the goals of ASA and provides an in-depth analysis of their annual State of the States report; and focusing on employment protections for federal employees who are medical cannabis patients and on housing protections.

The article offers information on the 2022 Cannabis Science Conference West to be held in Long Beach, California on May 18-20.

The article aim to identify and compare analytical methods used for the determination of cannabinoids in different matrices using liquid chromatography (LC)-based systems. Topics include analysis of cannabinoids were high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array; and comparison of methods used for the determination of cannabinoids can help in the development of efficient and effective methods of analysis to have a wide range of therapeutic effect.

An interview with Sheila Gibson, the founder of Aura IP Law, is presented. Topics include career in intellectual property (IP) at a nationally recognized IP boutique and practiced at several top-tier law firms; and working with world-renowned cancer researchers to obtain global patent protection for their cancer immunotherapeutics.

The article talks about the importance of good agricultural and collecting practice (GACP) guidelines and good manufacturing practice (GMP) guidelines in the medicinal cannabis industry. It mentions herbal substances that are destined to be used in pharmaceutical products must be of suitable quality and supporting data needs to be maintained to document satisfaction of the requisite quality standards; and the guidelines were developed by World Health Organization (WHO) in 2003.

The article discusses the challenges in the legal cannabis industry with no previous experience in the manufacture of medicines involved in the production of cannabis-based medicines. Topics include liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry systems can determine pesticide amounts in samples with an accuracy in the parts-per-billion (ppb) range; and ppb accuracy for the determination of total tetrahydrocannabinol is needed to optimize growing conditions or determine when to harvest cannabis.

An interview with Adam Floyd, chief executive officer of The Soil Labs, is presented. Topics include e Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) is working to institute a universal cannabinoid testing method for microbial analysis of cannabis in the State of California; and generate competitive advantages over labs rather than potency pumping and pushing dirty products through pharmaceutical industry.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including Cannabis Patient Care and pediatric cancer and the role of medical cannabis.

The article discusses the notices issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue and the Arizona Department of Health Services due to mold and Aspergillus contamination in cannabis products from MJ Durango LLC, Carrick-Harvest LLC, and several other cannabis companies, leading to voluntary recalls and consumer advisories.

The article offers information on two-day Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision (CANN) of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2020 Virtual Symposium that took place on May 6–7, 2020. It featured several sessions that focuses on Cannabis Analysis, medical use of Cannabis, and molecular kinetics of cannabinoid decarboxylations.

The article presents an interview with Denise Vidot, Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Miami talking about providing evidence on the health impact of phytocannabinoids. Topics include COVID-19 attacking the lungs but many medical cannabis patients smoking or vaping cannabis products; and starting the presentation by talking about the impact of cannabis on the brain, heart, and gut.

The article looks at nine significant issues that glaucoma patients should know about the ocular disease. Topics mentioned include a study that looked at patients diagnosed between 1981 and 2000 compared with patients diagnosed between 1965 and 1980 in the same geographic location, the best treatments for glaucoma, and blurred vision or vision loss caused by angle closure glaucoma.

This study focuses on an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) sample preparation procedure and analytical methodology optimized for both toxic and nutritional elements in dried hops, a surrogate for the cannabis family of flowering plants. It shows that the wide dynamic range of the technique allows it to be used for the simultaneous determination of parts-per-billion levels of heavy metals including Pb, As, Cd, and Hg, together with high parts-per-million levels of nutritional elements, such as P, Ca, K, and Mg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research scientists in the cannabis field are tasked with validating robust methods that can be seamlessly transitioned into production laboratories. Unlike typical disciplines where controls are easily (and legally) obtained through known manufacturers, analytical chemists working for both consumable vendors as well as cannabis laboratories must do their best to develop methods often without such resources at their disposal. As the industry matures and additional regulations are adopted, the evolution of the pesticide testing subsection continues to be vastly different depending on the jurisdiction one does business in. This creates an interesting challenge for commercial scientists tasked with developing methods that will appeal to a majority of their consumers, while also generating unexpected hurdles to said laboratories once the methods are placed into production. This article provides an overview of best practices and method development techniques for pesticide testing in cannabis from a technical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the legalization of medicinal cannabis continues to sweep across the United States, an urgent need has developed for fast, accurate, and efficient analytical testing. In addition to testing for contaminants and potency, there is also interest in the determination of terpene identity and concentration levels present in different strains of cannabis. Terpenes have been shown to have therapeutic uses for treatment of different medical conditions ranging from cancer and inflammation to anxiety and sleeplessness. It is believed that the combination of terpenes and cannabinoids in cannabis produce a synergistic effect with regards to medical benefits. The traditional testing method for terpenes in plant materials involves a solvent-based extraction followed by gas chromatography (GC) analysis. In this work, headspace solid- phase microextraction (HS-SPME) was used to identify and quantify terpene content in cannabis. The HS-SPME method offered several advantages compared to solvent extraction in that it provided a cleaner analysis, free of interferences from coextracted matrix, and was nondestructive to the sample. A cannabis sample of unknown origin was first analyzed qualitatively by HS-SPME and GC-mass spectrometry (MS). Spectral library matching and retention indices were used to identify 42 terpenes. Quantitative analysis was then performed for several selected terpenes using spiked samples. Method accuracy was >90%, with reproducibility of <5% relative standard deviation (RSD) for analysis of spiked replicates. The HS-SPME results were then compared to an analysis using a conventional solvent extraction method, and the two approaches were found to produce comparable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both benefits and concerns exist, but implementing policies and regulations promotes employee productivity, guards safety. Although marijuana provides health benefits, there are many concerns when it comes to productivity and even safety in the workplace for individuals who use medical marijuana. [Extracted from the article]

The article reports that Cannabis Center of Excellence, Inc., Medicinal Genomics, and UMass Dartmouth Charlton College of Business announced the formation of the 'Healthcare Provider Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Related to Medical Cannabis Research Study.' It mentions that the intention of the study is to collect information from healthcare providers in both the U.S. and Canada about experiences with medicinal cannabis in practices, education around interest in clinical education.

Fifteen years later when the employee's claim was launched against the firm, the employer stipulated that the employee had experienced a "compensable accident" that led to a workers' compensation claim. An employee of a construction company suffered serious injuries at work and subsequently received a recommendation from his physician that he use medical marijuana. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents questions and answers related to cannabis containing compounds, cannabidiol(CBD), including role of veterinary technician in educating pet parents about CBD, recommending CBD to veterinary team members and how to recommend CBD.

The transition of cannabis from an illegal drug to a drug for medical and even recreational use raises challenging questions for regulatory agencies and analytical chemists alike. Here, we show a selection of analytical techniques based on compact mass spectrometry (MS) in combination with three different sample inlets (atmospheric solids analysis probe, thin-layer chromatography [TLC], and classical liquid chromatography [LC]) for the detection and quantification of cannabinoids and pesticides in cannabis-related material and contraband. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study published in the "Annals of Oncology" journal demonstrating significant improvement in the control of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. It mentions that reduction in nausea and vomiting seen in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in clinical trial using cannabis called CannabisCINV.

The article discusses the role of Cannabis Industry to provide medical aid to communities in need amid COVID-19 Pandemic. It focuses on treating COVID-19 patients while safely providing ongoing medical care; also highlights extract Consultants that provided a financial contribution to the Food Bank of the Rockies.

The article discusses in 1970, marijuana has designated a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, making impossible for laboratories to perform cannabis research. Topics include medical cannabis and CBD has highlighted the need for good analysis methodology in relatively young market; and cannabis analysis has developing standardized protocols, requirements, and acceptable testing practices.