Member Blog: How Barcoding Can Improve Your Cannabis Sample Management
Cannabis testing is fundamental to ensuring the quality and safety of products in this rapidly growing industry. Within your lab environment, you face many challenges, from varying testing requirements across states to equipping your lab with the right analytical instruments and qualified professionals. Another critical aspect of cannabis testing is preparing individual samples and ensuring accurate data, which can be daunting.
When it comes to chromatography, a significant amount of time is often spent on the preparation of samples. Within the final stages of your preparation, the manual process of printing and hand-applying labels or hand writing with a sharpie can be time-consuming, potentially slowing down laboratory workflows. The time spent on printing, peeling, and precisely applying labels manually is time that could be redirected towards more important tasks. Additionally, hand-labeling your samples increases the risk of errors, such as lost samples and data mix-ups, which can compromise the accuracy and reliability of your results.
There is a solution that not only reduces errors and saves time but also enhances data integrity—barcoding your samples can greatly improve operations within your cannabis testing lab.
The Power of Barcoded Vials
The first step toward enhancing sample identification begins with adding a unique identifier to each vial. By implementing a barcode as the unique identifier, laboratories can confidently trace the entire lifecycle of a sample, from its creation to analysis and storage. This digital fingerprint facilitates seamless tracking within a laboratory, standardizes data exchange, and promotes collaboration across systems and institutions.
Here’s how barcoded vials can transform your lab:
Improve Your Audit Trail: Implementing barcoded vials enables effortless tracking and precise documentation of each experiment step. This enhancement not only improves compliance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) regulations but also enhances data quality and integrity.
Streamlined Sequence Table Management: Reduce the risk of misloading samples in the autosampler rack and sequence table. By simply scanning the barcode and placing your samples in the tray, you can significantly decrease the potential for errors.
Enhance Efficiency: Manual labeling is time-consuming and error prone. Barcoded vials streamline your workflow, allowing for faster processing times and reducing the risk of human error.
How to Integrate Barcoded Labware to Your Workflow
Integrating barcoded chromatography vials into your lab workflow or automated prep systems is seamless. Simply add a USB scanner to your equipment, and experience a continuous workflow from sample preparation to data management:
Identify Samples in LIMS: Easily integrate barcoded data into your Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for streamlined data management.
Scan into Sequence Table: Use the USB scanner to scan vials into the sequence table, enhancing traceability and organization.
Load into Autosampler Rack: Place your pre-barcoded chromatography vials into the autosampler rack without the hassle of manual labeling.
Sample Prep with Confidence: Run your experiments with confidence, knowing that your samples are correctly located and identified.
Challenges of Manual Labeling
Adding a barcoded label to your chromatography vial ensures a reliable and traceable identifier. However, achieving the optimal positioning of labels on your vials take a high level of precision. In a field where accuracy is vital, the meticulous task of aligning labels becomes critical. The label must not only be placed in the correct position, but also without any wrinkles. This is especially crucial for instruments equipped with built-in scanners designed to read barcodes. A misaligned or wrinkled label can obstruct the scanner’s ability to accurately capture the barcode data, introducing the potential for errors in sample identification.
Another challenge of manual labeling is preventing barcode duplicates, especially when multiple individuals in labs are involved in the printing process. Coordinating and managing sequences manually can lead to errors, potentially causing duplicate barcodes. This scenario not only compromises data integrity but also limits the smooth functioning of laboratory operations.
Outsourcing Label Application
To address these challenges and increase efficiency in your testing environments, labs should consider outsourcing their label application, such as Labware Prep™ Services by Computype. This alternative solution allows laboratories to remove the printing and application of labels inhouse. By outsourcing this tedious process, you eliminate the prep work needed before testing and analysis, streamlining laboratory workflows and mitigating the risks of mislabeled or lost samples. With this service, you can experience significant time, budget, staffing, and inventory savings.
Computype’s Labware Prep™ Services go beyond adding barcodes to your labware. Your labware arrives ready for immediate use, procured, custom-marked, prepared and packages to your specification. Your specific needs, combined with our barcode sequence management service, global account management, and strict quality standards ensure that you’ll be spending more time on scientific activities, and less time worrying about labware and labeling. Here’s how we can help:
Labeling, Marking, and Sequence Management: Receive your labware pre-labeled to your specifications, including custom numbering and sequencing. Select from a variety of marking technologies designed to survive chemical and temperature exposure.
Labware Procurement: Save time and money by outsourcing the procurement of consumable labware. We source containers according to your desired specifications and budget, ensuring you receive high-quality labware without the hassle.
Tare Weighing: Free yourself to focus on the science while we handle the weighing. Each piece of labware is weighed to a tenth of a milligram, with an output file provided for easy reference.
This service is a transformative solution for chromatography testing, offering a strategic advantage by combining efficiency, precision, and compatibility with automation. Laboratories leveraging these services experience not only enhanced operational efficiency but also the assurance of accurate and reliable results in their chromatography testing.
Transform Your Research Environment
As the cannabis testing industry continues to grow and evolve, accurate sample management has never been more vital. By partnering with Computype, you can eliminate the inefficiencies of hand labeling and ensure your lab operates at peak productivity. Our Labware Prep™ Services provide the ultimate solution for enhancing your lab’s efficiency, accuracy, and compliance.
Eliminate the hassle of individually labeling each vial and let Computype transform your laboratory with the power of barcoding. Our experts are ready to assist you in streamlining your workflows and ensuring the highest standards of sample management. Contact Computype today to learn more about how our Labware Prep™ Services can benefit your lab.
Member Blog: Breaking Ground – Maryland’s Leading Role in Cannabis Testing Standards
With the advantage of watching several other states blaze the regulated and tested trail before it, the state of Maryland’s cannabis testing program is one of the more robust and modern of the current industry. After long delays, the state’s medical program – which included a testing program – finally got off the ground in 2017. Then in November 2022, voters approved recreational, adult-use cannabis. Sales officially began in February 2023. And like all legal states, Maryland requires producers to have their products lab-tested to ensure consumer safety, including a few additions or changes that early-adopter states may not include in their programs.
Under Maryland state law, all “raw plant material” including pre-rolls are required to be tested at a state-licensed laboratory for:
Moisture Content and water activity;
Residual solvents and processing chemicals;
Residual pesticides;
Microbial impurities;
Mycotoxins;
Foreign materials;
The “big four” heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) and chromium;
Cannabinoids; and
Terpenes
Aside from cannabinoids and terpenes – which is information consumers often look for and want to know when purchasing – all the rest are safety issues.
“Laboratory testing minimizes the risk of pesticides, microbes, heavy metals, toxins, and residual solvents from being consumed by an immunocompromised population,” reads the most recent revision of the Maryland Cannabis Administration’s Technical Authority For Cannabis, a 33-page document detailing the requirements and procedures labs in the state must perform on cannabis products.
Like many states that have come online in later waves of legalization, Maryland law requires testing of cannabis products in their final form. That, for example, means testing the completed, fully-packed pre-roll, not just the flower that gets packed into it.
While adult-use cannabis sales continue to climb, Maryland still has a fairly robust medical marijuana program that includes nearly 134,000 patients. For those consumers in particular, making sure the cannabis products they use, including pre-rolls, are as safe as possible is vitally important.
Testing for Microbials and Mycotoxins, for example, while important safety considerations for healthy users, is key for those who may be immunocompromised. Mycotoxins are a toxic compound produced by molds, such as Aspergillus, and can suppress the immune system and cause liver damage.
Maryland requires testing for two classes of mycotoxins, Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A. Both have properties that can alter DNA and potentially cause the formation of cancer cells. Testing for mycotoxins help ensure cannabis products are safe for human consumption.
Regulations require a total mycotoxin concentration of less than 20 parts per billion in order to make it to dispensary shelves.
Maryland law also requires testing for E. coli and Salmonella, among others.
In a similar vein is the requirement to test for water activity, a measure of the available water that can be a breeding ground for microbiological growth. Like most states, Maryland caps water activity at 0.65 Aw in flower and pre-rolls, since water activity above 0.70 Aw creates the conditions for mold to grow, which can be harmful if consumed.
Like many states, Maryland requires testing for the “big four” heavy metals mercury, cadmium, lead, and arsenic, which are toxic to humans, even at small doses. But unlike many legacy markets, Maryland is among a handful of recently-legal states that also require testing for chromium, another dangerous heavy metal. Once chromium reaches the bloodstream, it can damage the kidneys, liver and blood cells with the potential for renal and liver failure if untreated.
RESIDUAL PESTICIDES AND CHEMICALS
Maryland also has strict laws regarding the use of pesticides and other “crop protection agents” (like fungicides) on cannabis. There are 146 crop protection agents approved for use on cannabis by the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
The state also specifically requires testing for 48 pesticides and plant growth regulators, each with their own actionable limits, any of which can require the product to be destroyed.
There are similar requirements for residual solvents used in the process to create cannabis extracts for vape cartridges or infused pre-rolls.
LAB REQUIREMENTS
Along with direction on actionable limits, Maryland requires that all cannabis products be tested at one of the four labs that are certified by the state and accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 by an International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) recognized third party.
Additionally, the state offers guidance on exactly how samples are to be collected and maintained, including notes on be sure the lab is clean and that employees use personal protective equipment to ensure samples are not contaminated. There is also direction on the standard operating procedures required for some of the tests.
“To reliably provide the laboratory with a representative sample, standard sampling methods with descriptive steps must be applied with quality and consistency,” reads the technical authority document. “All sampling must be consistently performed using accepted methodologies.”
PRE-ROLL COMPLIANCE AND SAFETY
As noted, Maryland’s cannabis testing is done on products in their final form, meaning that, for example, any pre-rolls must be tested after being packed in their cones. That means that no matter how attentive to the rules you are, your product can still fail if your pre-roll supplier is not as diligent as you are.
On top of that, customers – especially medical patients – should not be worried that the products they are using to help feel better will make them sicker, whether they purchase a pre-roll at a store or pack a cone at home themselves with their favorite flower.
“You’re putting something in your body; make sure it’s high quality,” says Custom Cones USA Compliance Manager André Bayard.
Testing is not required on rolling papers and pre-rolled cones, so many producers do not know what they are getting in their paper, which can contain all of the same dangers as cannabis. For example, a study from California’s SC labs found that 11% of rolling papers they tested would fail that state’s testing regiment, which doesn’t even include Chromium, and that 90% of rolling papers contained heavy metals with more than 8% containing them at a rate above the allowable limits
Bayard recommends making sure your pre-roll supplier has COAs available to prove their products are clean and will pass tests or will send you samples for you to test before committing to a full order.
“Work with a company that focuses on those requirements and are trying to set the industry standard with their products,” Bayard says. “Any one issue can be detrimental to your brand reputation.”
JOIN US AT THE FOREFRONT: REGISTER FOR NCIA’S MARYLAND STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to delve deeper into Maryland’s cannabis landscape at the upcoming NCIA Maryland Stakeholder Summit 2024. This event, hosted by the National Cannabis Industry Association on Tuesday, April 2nd in Baltimore, MD brings together key players, industry experts, and stakeholders to discuss the latest developments, regulations, and opportunities shaping Maryland’s cannabis market.
As a special offer for Industry Insights readers, NCIA is excited to provide a 20% discount code for summit registration. Simply use the code CUSTOMCONESMD25 at checkout to unlock your savings and secure your spot at this must-attend event.
Whether you’re a producer, retailer, advocate, or simply interested in learning more about the industry, this summit offers invaluable insights and networking opportunities. Join us as we explore strategies for navigating regulatory challenges, ensuring product quality, and driving innovation in this dynamic sector.
Register now to secure your spot at the Maryland Stakeholder Summit and be part of the conversation driving Maryland’s cannabis industry forward. Don’t miss your chance to connect with industry leaders, gain valuable knowledge, and contribute to the growth and success of Maryland’s cannabis market.
Register here and be at the forefront of Maryland’s cannabis revolution!
Navigating Missouri’s Stringent Cannabis Testing Requirements: A Deep Dive
When it comes to cannabis testing requirements, Missouri absolutely lives up to its nickname as the Show Me State, requiring its licensed cannabis businesses to run a wide series of tests to prove the cannabis they are sending to store shelves is safe.
As a relatively new state to join the cannabis industry, with voters approving medical marijuana in 2018 and recreational cannabis in 2022, Missouri has had the benefit of watching several other states develop programs ahead of it and its testing regulations reflect that.
In Missouri, both flower and pre-rolls, for example, must be tested by one of 10 state certified labs for:
Moisture Content and water activity;
Residual solvents and processing chemicals;
Residual pesticides;
Microbial impurities;
Mycotoxins;
Foreign materials;
The “big four” heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) + Chromium;
Cannabinoids; and
Terpenes (if requested).
The majority of these tests are designed to protect consumers from potential dangers hidden in their cannabis products, so it is important that any rolling paper or pre rolled cones you buy – even for personal use – should pass these tests.
For example, moisture content and water activity can point to the potential for mold growth. Any water activity above 0.70 Aw creates the conditions for mold to grow, which can be harmful if consumed, which is why Missouri, like many states, caps water activity at 0.65 Aw in flower and pre-rolls.
Missouri, however, is one of a handful of states that also include chromium in their testing regiment, another dangerous heavy metal. Once chromium reaches the bloodstream, chromium can damage the kidneys, liver, and blood cells with the potential for renal and liver failure if untreated. So, you can see why states have begun adding it to their testing requirements.
MICROBIALS AND MYCOTOXINS
While heavy metals are dangerous, microbials and mycotoxins pose the greatest risk to human health.
Mycotoxins are a toxic compound produced by molds, such as Aspergillus, and can suppress the immune system and cause liver damage. Missouri requires testing for two classes of mycotoxins, Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A. Both have properties that can alter DNA and potentially cause the formation of cancer cells. Testing for mycotoxins help ensure cannabis products are safe for human consumption.
Missouri regulations require a total mycotoxin concentration of less than 20 micrograms per kilogram for cannabis to receive a passing mark.
Missouri also requires testing for other microbials like Pathogenic E. Coli, Salmonella and Pathogenic Aspergillus Species including A. fumigatus, A. flabus, A. niger and A. terreus.
PESTICIDES
Missouri also requires testing for residual pesticides and other chemicals. The state allows some pesticides to be used on cannabis – tracked by the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Program – but cultivators are required to report in the state track and trace system all pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals applied to the plants, as well as all the ingredients contained in each of those.
State law requires tests for 61 chemicals and 20 residual solvents, with actionable limits, and foreign matter screening.
LABELING LAWS
Missouri also has a very strict labeling law for its cannabis packaging that requires specific information in a specific order, beginning with the state’s diamond THC logo, the letter “M,” all ingredients, license number of the producer and where the products passed their testing, as well as the track-and-trace number for the samples and the THC potency, among others.
LAB LICENSING AND LAB SHOPPING
Aside from specifics for testing, the Show Me State goes even further when it comes to which labs can be used and how those labs get licensed.
Missouri law contains provisions for exactly who at the labs can conduct the tests, requiring the labs to be employ a laboratory director with a degree in a natural science and at least five years’ experience in a regulated lab environment or a degree in “another applicable field” with 10 years’ experience. It also requires the person performing the test to have a bachelor’s degree in natural science and at least two years of lab experience.
But recent updates to Missouri’s regulations go even a step further than most states in an attempt to stop the process known as “lab shopping” to get desired results. Normally aimed at trying to limit THC potency inflation, the new law requires producers and labs to submit their samples to other labs so results can be compared.
For example, the new regulations say that up to 10 times per year, the state will require one lab to pick up samples from another lab and re-perform a test. The state will review all the results to make sure they have similar potency results and to see if one lab is passing samples for pesticide residue while another one is failing it.
According to Custom Cones USA Compliance Manager André Bayard, while the main focus of the new law appears to be THC potency inflation, which, of course, is a major driver of sales for cannabis companies, that too is a safety concern, especially in the medical market or for low-dose patients and consumers.
ENSURING PRE-ROLL COMPLIANCE
As noted, the Missouri law requires all products be tested in their final form, including pre-rolls. That means even if your cannabis is clean, your products can fail and be destroyed if your rolling papers are not.
Because of that, manufacturers need to protect themselves – and their customers – by carefully selecting suppliers. After all, a study from California’s SC labs found that 11% of rolling papers they tested would fail that state’s testing regiment, which doesn’t even include Chromium, and that 90% of rolling papers contained heavy metals with more than 8% containing them at a rate above the allowable limits.
Pre-roll manufacturers in particular need to pay attention to their suppliers and make sure that the company from which they buy their paper takes testing as seriously as they do. Bayard recommends making sure your pre-roll paper supplier is a partner.
“Find a supplier that is willing to work with you and do the due diligence to make sure you know ahead of time whether your paper will pass,” Bayard says.
Bayard notes that when contacted by a manufacturer in Missouri in 2022 about chromium content causing failures, Custom Cones USA sent samples ahead of time so the manufacturer could pack and test a handful of their completed pre-rolls to make sure the products were clean before committing to a full order.
If your pre-roll supplier is not willing to go through that step, it may be a red flag.
Testing failures can be expensive, so make sure you not only keep up on the latest changes to your states regulations, but also work with a Pre-Roll Expert to get the cleanest, best-tested pre rolled cones you can find. And always ask to see COAs.
Engage with Missouri’s Cannabis Community: Join Us at the Summit!
As you navigate through Missouri’s stringent cannabis testing requirements, it’s imperative to stay informed and engaged with the latest developments in the industry. To further your understanding and involvement, consider joining us at the upcoming Missouri Stakeholder Summit, hosted by the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA). The Missouri Stakeholder Summit serves as a crucial platform for industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to convene and discuss the pressing issues shaping Missouri’s cannabis landscape. Each event will host a wide range of programming including interactive panel discussions, intimate fireside chats, and live Q&A to provide participants the opportunity to make the Voice of Main Street Cannabis heard by key decision makers.
All industry professionals are invited; NCIA members attend free and have exclusive access to Q&A sessions. From regulatory updates to market insights, this summit offers a comprehensive view of the opportunities and challenges ahead. From regulatory updates to market insights, this summit offers a comprehensive view of the opportunities and challenges ahead.
Ready to elevate your involvement in the cannabis industry? Explore the benefits of NCIA membership and gain access to exclusive resources, networking opportunities, and advocacy initiatives. Join online today or schedule a meeting with our team to learn more about membership and how NCIA can support your professional growth and business success.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the industry, the summit provides invaluable networking opportunities, expert panels, and discussions tailored to meet your needs. It’s a chance to connect with like-minded individuals, gain strategic knowledge, and contribute to the growth of Missouri’s cannabis market. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to be part of the conversation that drives change and innovation in Missouri’s cannabis industry. Register now to secure your spot and take an active role in shaping the future of cannabis in the Show Me State!
WEBINAR: Cannabis Testing & How to Read Test Results
Learn from expert panelists: Alena Rodriguez, Managing Director, Rm3 Labs; Garrett Cropsey, Project Manager, Canna Advisors; and Tiffany Coleman, Director of Quality, Copperstate Farms.
Without delving too much into the testing methodologies used, we discuss reporting limits and some reasons for variability in test results. We also discuss the basic terminology used in test reports, provide examples of test results, and show you how to read them.
This webinar is great for general audiences that want to learn more about why we test in cannabis, how to interpret test results, and how you can use results as a consumer or cannabis business.
The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) is comprised of practicing chemists and other scientific field professionals to advise other NCIA committees as they work to develop standards and guidelines for the various sectors of our industry, ensuring that any formal recommendations produced by other NCIA committees are scientifically sound, sustainable, and legitimate.
For a deeper dive into cannabis testing policy, download this report prepared by NCIA’s Policy Council, where we explore recommendations for cannabis testing policies including requirements for proficiency, contaminants, potency and active ingredients, as well as records retention and laboratory accreditation.
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