Lean management or Lean thinking is a process for continuous improvement that can be applied to any business. In this piece, Rob Radke, president of Method Testing Labs, walks us through how to implement Lean processes in the cannabis laboratory.
Cannabis Labs Virtual Conference
The Cannabis Labs Virtual Conference continues! For five years now, we have been hosting this complimentary collection of webinar presentations, designed to help attendees better understand some of the more technical aspects of starting and operating a laboratory. We will take a deep dive into various cannabis and hemp testing methods, laboratory accreditation, microbial testing, standards, method development and more. Attendees registering for this complimentary series of webinars will get access to veterans of the cannabis lab testing industry, who are all available for Q&A after each presentation. In addition to getting the opportunity to chat with these subject matter experts on September 14, a recording of the presentations will be made available to all who register. Practical and educational information from experts in the cannabis lab testing industry, all on the same day and all from the comfort of your lab, home or office. Want real inside knowledge on the cannabis testing industry? Stay tuned for important updates on the agenda. Registration coming soon!
Infused Products Virtual Conference
Stay tuned for important announcements. Registration coming soon! This complimentary virtual conference consists of 4 back-to-back webinars, all on the same day.
In a number of states across the country, edibles, topicals, beverages and other infused products are taking up a larger percentage of the market share. They come in all shapes and sizes- from granola bars to lotions, lubricant and scented candles; manufacturers are infusing a wide variety of products with cannabis, creating a market that meets a larger consumer demographic.
Different states have different rules when it comes to product safety. Some states require ServSafe training and local health inspections, while others have more stringent lab testing rules, require documented GMPs and even a form of certification demonstrating proper food safety protocols.
State regulations shouldn’t be the reason why infused products manufacturers have robust safety and quality standards, consumer safety is. Getting ahead of regulations with proactive safety and quality planning can improve a business’s bottom line tremendously. There are a number of tools and tricks cannabis companies can learn from the food industry to streamline their businesses and gain a bigger chunk of the market share.
Earlier this year, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced a plan to introduce new testing rules for the state’s hemp industry, including residual solvents, heavy metals and pesticide analyses. While the rollout has been delayed to 2022, regulators are allowing hemp companies to work with out-of-state labs to prevent a lab testing bottleneck while they bring everyone up to speed.
The Florida-based cannabis lab testing company announced the roll out of their proprietary “Tested Safe Certified Seal” program, which gives products that pass compliance testing a symbol on their label to bolster consumer trust.
Last week, AOAC approved PathogenDx’s Quantx assay for total yeast and mold. This week, they approved Medicinal Genomics’ PathoSEEK 5-Color Aspergillus Multiplex Assays.
Labs have long dealt with the threat of cross contamination, which leads to reduction in test accuracy and turnaround time, ultimately costing both the lab and the grower significantly.
New market opportunities, more requirements in testing regulations, new technologies and other factors are leading to a much larger cannabis testing market in the next five years.
In this series, Aaron Green sits down and interviews a number of laboratories and technology providers leading the cannabis testing space. In Part 1, Green sits down with Milan Patel, CEO and co-founder of PathogenDx, to learn more about their technology and business model.
It can be challenging to translate highly technical test results into consumer-friendly language but being able to do so will enable businesses to build a stronger relationship with customers. Rely on your trusted lab partners to help design and deliver easy to understand, consumer friendly certificates of analysis.
