Tag Archives: lab

Introducing the Cannabis Quality Conference & Expo

By Aaron G. Biros
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An educational and networking event for cannabis safety and quality solutions: Innovative Publishing and Cannabis Industry Journal are pleased to present the first annual Cannabis Quality Conference & Expo (CQC). The conference will take place October 1-3, 2019, hosted at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, Illinois.

The inaugural CQC will consist of two separate tracks: The Cannabis Labs track, focused on all things cannabis lab testing, and the Cannabis Quality track, focusing on quality in cannabis product manufacturing.

Sharing an exhibit hall and meeting spaces right alongside the Food Safety Consortium Conference & Expo, the CQC allows cannabis professionals to interact with senior level food quality and safety professionals, as well as regulators. Visit with exhibitors to learn about cutting-edge solutions, explore two high-level educational tracks for learning valuable industry trends, and network with industry executives to find solutions to improve quality, efficiency and cost effectiveness in a quickly evolving cannabis marketplace.

The CQC will be hosted at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Illinois (just outside of Chicago)

With the cannabis industry in the Midwest growing at a rapid pace, the CQC offers attendees, exhibitors and sponsors unparalleled access to explore these emerging markets, their regulations, opportunities for business growth and best practices from the more established food industry.

For information on speaking opportunities and to submit an abstract, click here to view the Call for Proposals. The CQC will be accepting abstracts for consideration until June 3, 2019. For information on exhibiting, as well as additional sponsorship opportunities, contact RJ Palermo, Sales Director, rj@innovativepublishing.net, (203) 667-2212.

Take advantage of this chance to connect with cannabis industry and food safety professionals in the Greater Chicago Area. Don’t miss this opportunity to network with hundreds of industry stakeholders, get the latest on regulatory developments and see the newest technology disrupting the cannabis space.

A2LA Accredits GoodCat Analytical to ISO/IEC 17025

By Aaron G. Biros
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According to a press release published last week, the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) announced the accreditation of GoodCat Analytical, LLC, a cannabis testing laboratory based in Naples, Florida. This marks the first time that A2LA has accredited a cannabis testing lab in the state.

Adam Gouker, A2LA General Manager, says this is a momentous achievement for GoodCat Analytical. “A2LA is excited to expand our cannabis accreditation program into yet another state, promoting the value of independent third-party accreditation to support quality products in the industry,” says Gouker. “We congratulate GCA Laboratories in achieving this milestone for their organization and wish them all the best as they move forward with this new endeavor.”

According to Jimmy Dodsworth, chief science officer at GoodCat Analytical, they had to develop a lot of methods on their own. “I can’t say enough about each of our staff members efforts to develop and validate each analytical method,” says Dodsworth. “The level of quality for these internally developed tests is amazing considering we started from scratch.”

Raymond Keller, owner and president of GoodCat Analytical, says A2LA’s support was an incredibly valuable resource for them. “We also need to acknowledge the tremendous guidance and support from the A2LA staff,” says Keller. “There is no doubt that they had a hand in making our lab the impressive operation it is today and know they will continue to do so moving forward.”

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Third-Party Cannabis Safety Audits & How to Prepare in 7 Steps

By Tyler Williams
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Unlike the food industry, the cannabis industry is still in its infancy. Which means there is not a push from retailers demanding cannabis farmers, extractors or manufacturers to get third-party audits. In fact, most grow operations supply into their own dispensaries. So why should a cannabis farmer, extractor or manufacturer get a third-party audit? Third-party audits are crucial to maintaining product safety and quality by providing a third set of eyes to verify what is working and what is not. Besides regulatory requirements and customers requiring your facility to get a third-party audit, there are numerous other benefits to receiving an audit. Some of these benefits include:

  • Improvement to product safety
  • Improvement to product quality and consistency
  • Meeting regulatory compliance
  • Eliminating potential risks and possible recalls
  • Marketing advantages over competitors who are not audited by a third-party
  • Improvement to consumer confidence and an increase to brand loyalty

How to Prepare for a Third-Party Audit

Working for a certification body, I am in the unique position to see numerous sites go through the certification process. In this position I have seen both extremes: Sites that spend 6-8 months and a lot of resources preparing for an audit, as well as sites that wait until the day before to even look at the audit standard. Unfortunately, the latter is almost always going to fail the audit. Here are seven steps for preparing for your next third-party audit.“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”– Benjamin Franklin

  1. Start Preparing Early

Think of your third-party audit as a college exam one month away. You could start studying for the exam now and get a real understanding of the material or you could wait until the day before to start your no-sleep, energy drink-fueled, 24-hour cram session. We all know which preparation method will get a better score on the exam. Now let’s apply that same strategy to your third-party audit. Once you have decided what audit is best for your site and have those specific standards in your hand, the clock starts ticking and you should already be preparing for the audit, whether it is one month or six months away.

  1. Get Management Commitment

It is essential to the entire cannabis safety and quality system to have commitment from top down. Without this, the site will not get the resources (people, equipment, money, time, etc.) they need to pass a third-party audit. Management commitment is so important that it is often seen as its own section in most modern audit standards. It is very easy for third-party auditors to identify when there is a lack of management commitment in a site. Therefore, if you don’t get management commitment, then you are already starting off the audit on a bad note.

  1. Create a To-Do-ListGMP

Think of the entire audit checklist or standard as your long to-do list. Some things, like attaining a certificate of analysis (COA) from a supplier, may only need to be done annually. While other things, such as ensuring employees are following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), will need to be done continuously throughout day to day operations. Go through the audit checklist and separate what needs to be done annually, semiannually, quarterly, monthly and continuously throughout day to day operations. This will give you a list with all of the frequencies of each different requirement.

  1. Teamwork“Teamwork makes the dream work, but a vision becomes a nightmare when the leader has a big dream and a bad team.” – John C. Maxwell

The preparation of an audit should never rest on the shoulders of one person. Yet this is something I tend to see too often in both food and cannabis facilities alike. Your site should establish a cannabis safety and quality team of multidiscipline personnel that have an impact on product safety and quality. Once the team is established, various tasks from the to-do-list can be disbursed among all the members of the team. Collaboration is key to successfully preparing for a third-party audit, especially when the timelines are very stringent.

  1. Training

Training is essential to preparing for your third-party audit. This is what closes the gaps between what the safety and quality department have developed and what your front-line employees are applying. All employees should know what part of the audit standard applies to them. Additionally, employees should be trained on interview questions that the auditor might ask them during the audit. Helping them prepare for these types of questions will help ease their nerves and allow them to answer the questions with self-assurance when it comes time to the actual audit.

  1. Conduct Internal Audits

Conducting internal audits is not only a great way to prepare for your third-party audit, it’s a requirement. You should always use the audit checklist to observe your documents and facility to see where there are gaps. If possible, the person or team conducting the internal audit should never review their own work. Additionally, all issues or non-conformances should be noted, evaluated, corrected and closed out.

  1. Third-Party Pre-Assessment or Mock Audit (Optional)

A third-party pre-assessment or mock audit is the closest thing you can get to an actual audit. This is where a company would come in and evaluate your site to the specific standards and give a formal report over any deficiencies found during the assessment and how to fix them. This is a great way to test your preparedness before the actual audit.

British Barristers Take On Cannabis “Novel Food” Regulation In Brussels

By Marguerite Arnold
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The first thing to understand about the significance of the British barristers now challenging the EU’s classification of hemp extracts as a novel food is that this is like jumping into the middle of an action adventure by coming in at the second act. In other words, you miss the introduction and the first couple of car chases.

That said, this action movie also features a cannabis-flavored plot. Those used to the maddening hair splitting now going on just about everywhere as the industry gains legitimacy, in other words, are familiar with the larger story line.

Here are the “CBD Cliff’s Notes.”

The structure of cannabidiol (CBD), one of 400 active compounds found in cannabis.

It is highly significant that a major British cannabis trade organization, the Cannabis Trades Association, hired a leading law firm in London to go sue the EU over its recent decision to lump all CBD extracts into the same “novel” distinction. Up until now, only CBD sourced from cannabis had fallen prey to this strange regulation. Thus, the lawsuit. No Brexit themes involved. Yet. Although that too will play a role in all of this.

What Is This Really About?

If those in the CBD business are honest with themselves, the real reason for this segmented part of the cannabis industry to even exist in the first place is the race, desire and need to actually be allowed to operate in relative regulatory peace. No matter what the battles are on the THC front. CBD has been seen as a result, pretty much since the beginning of the new age of legalization, as the “safer” political and market entry choice by those in regions such as U.S. southern states and the burgeoning, can’t-wait-to-be-off-to-the-races, market in Europe. See the new federal hemp legalization bill in the United States as Exhibit A.

However, in Europe this has run into more than a few problems since the Swiss put “low THC” or “Cannabis Lite” on the map more locally. Starting with the whole discussion about licensing in general. And then, even more confusingly, about what to actually classify the plant. Especially when it is used in food and cosmetics as opposed to “medicine.”

Specifically, where does the cannabis plant in general, let alone its individual components, really fall when it comes to regulated human consumption?

european union states
Member states of the European Union

For the time being- read last year when the industry in Spain was facing police busts over CBD cookies on the shelves at health stores- the conventional industry wisdom was that this whole furore was “just” over the use of concentrates, tinctures and other products made from cannabis-sourced CBD. However, given the noise that Austria managed to make over Christmas about the entire “licensing” issue (namely who has the right to produce, sell and package even CBD as a cannabinoid no matter where it is sourced), the EU also moved all CBD products and tinctures- even those made from good old hemp- into the novel food category.

This means in effect, that even CBD extracts produced from the hemp plant (which is actually the majority of such product in Europe) must now be regulated as a “novel food” too. Even though in poor old hemp’s case, it is certainly the case that health food nuts have been consuming the same in Europe long before (and certainly after) standing EU “novel food” regulations were put into place back in the late 90’s.

Thus, the lawsuit, launched from a country unsure of whether it will even be in the EU post-May (either the month or the current PM).

According to the EU at least for now, CBD itself is a “novel food” no matter from where it is sourced. And that, according to not only science but food history is an absolute fallacy.consumer safety, from factory to pharmacy or farm to table, is never far from the discussion

Likely Outcomes

Those who were hoping that CBD would remain unregulated in the EU should think again. It is highly likely that what will happen is that CBD production licensing is in the cards and just about everywhere. Think GMPs but with a consumer-food twist.

While indie producers might groan at the prospect of fees and licensing procedures, remember this is Europe. And consumer safety, from factory to pharmacy or farm to table, is never far from the discussion.

While this lawsuit, in other words, is likely to make the EU think more closely about regulating CBD in general, what is most likely to happen is that entire enchilada will be lumped under a regime to insure that high quality production, particularly of crops bound for consumption, is also extended to anything that ends up in either a food or cosmetic product.

CBD Producers Have To Keep Current On Regs

Given the current murkiness that exists, in other words at this point across Europe, in every country and for every CBD product, exports here from other places are still not a great idea.

There are labeling, licensing and of course, ultimately legislative issues that are all still in flux. And while the outcome of the lawsuit might eventually regulate and standardize things, the idea that a license-free CBD production industry is clearly now dead in the water.

Stratos: Quality, Expansion & Growth in Multiple Markets

By Aaron G. Biros
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Jason Neely founded Stratos in 2014, when he and a small group of people left the pharmaceutical industry in search of a new endeavor in the cannabis marketplace. The concept was straightforward: Apply pharmaceutical methodologyof production to cannabis products. Back then, Stratos offered a range of THC-infused tablets in the Colorado market.

Brenda Verghese, vice president of research & development

Brenda Verghese, vice president of research & development, was one of five people on staff when Stratos launched. Now they have about 30 team members. Consumers were looking for a cannabis product that would be consistent and reliable every time, taking the guesswork out of infused products dosage. That’s where Brenda Verghese found her skillset useful.

Transitioning to the pharmaceutical industry right out of college, Verghese started her career as a chemist and worked her way up to the R&D business development sector. “I specializedin formulations and taking a product from concept to commercialization in the pharmaceutical space,” says Verghese. “Jason Neely approached me with the idea of a cannabis company and focusing on making products as effective and consistent as possible, so really bringing pharmaceutical science into the cannabis space. In the matter of 4 years we grew substantially, mainly focusing on the efficacy of products.”

Behind the scenes at packaging and labeling Image credit: Lucy Beaugard

Soon after the success of their THC products became apparent, Stratos launched a CBD line, quickly growing their portfolio to include things like tinctures and topicals as well. According to Verghese, they are hoping that what’s been established on the THC side of their business as far as reproducibility and consistency is something that consumers will also experience on the CBD side. “Quality and consistency have definitely driven our growth,” says Verghese. “That is what consumers appreciate most- the fact that every tablet, tincture or swipe of a topical product is going to be consistent and the same dose every time.” This is what speaks to their background in the pharmaceutical sciences, FDA regulation has taught the Stratos team to create really robust and consistent formulations.

Quality in manufacturing starts at the source for Stratos: their suppliers. They take a hard look at their supply of raw materials and active ingredients, making sure it meets their standards. “The supplier needs to allow us to do an initial audit and periodic audits,” says Verghese. “We require documentation to verify the purity and quality of oil. We also do internal testing upon receipt of the materials, verifying that the COAs [certificates of analysis] match their claims.”

Process validation in action at the Stratos facility
(image credit: Lucy Beaugard)

Verghese says maintaining that attention to detail as their company grows is crucial. They implement robust SOPs and in-process quality checks in addition to process testing. They test their products 5-6 times within one production batch. Much of that is thanks to Amy Davison, director of operations and compliance, and her 15 years of experience in quality and regulatory compliance in the pharmaceutical industry.

Back in August of 2018, Amy Davison wrote an article on safety and dosing accuracy for Cannabis Industry Journal. Take a look at this excerpt to get an idea of their quality controls:

Product testing alone cannot assess quality for an entire lot or batch of product; therefore, each step of the manufacturing process must be controlled through Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Process validation is an aspect of GMPs used by the pharmaceutical industry to create consistency in a product’s quality, safety and efficacy. There are three main stages to process validation: process design, process qualification and continued process verification. Implementing these stages ensures that quality, including dosing accuracy, is maintained for each manufactured batch of product.

Fast forward to today and Stratos is looking at expanding their CBD products line significantly. While their THC-infused products might have a stronger brand presence in Colorado, the CBD line offers substantial growth potential, given their ability to ship nationwide as well as online ordering. “We are always evaluating different markets and looking for what suits Stratos and our consumer base,”says Verghese.

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EVIO Labs Florida Achieves ISO17025:2017 Accreditation

By Aaron G. Biros
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EVIO Logo

EVIO Labs Florida received their ISO 17025:2005 accreditation in February of 2018. Last week, EVIO Labs Florida announced via a press release that they completed their ISO 17025:2017 accreditation and received a certification from AOAC International. The accreditation helped them to further expand their testing scope to shelf life and stability testing, the ability to detect harmful bacteria and calculate degradation in samples.

The certification that they received from AOAC helps verify their ability to conduct accurate and fair 3rd party testing, meeting Florida’s requirements for the market. Back when the laboratory first started in 2017, there were no requirements for lab testing cannabis products under Florida’s regulations.

Chris Martinez
Chris Martinez, co-founder and president of EVIO Labs Florida

Upon expanding to their Gainesville location in November last year and getting accredited to ISO 17025:2017 last week, EVIO Labs Florida expects the new location to be compliant and operational by April 2019, in preparation for the state’s new regulations. “Our team has worked diligently to maintain our stance as the Gold Standard in Cannabis Testing,” says Chris Martinez, co-founder and president of EVIO Lab Florida. “The ability to obtain the recent ISO 17025:2017 and AOAC certification is a testament to our dedication in maintaining public safety and product integrity in an ever-growing industry.”

Martinez is also presenting during the 2ndAnnual Cannabis Labs Virtual Conference on April 2, where he will discuss how EVIO Labs Florida began as a laboratory and how they were able to expand to a second location and grow their market presence in Florida. Click here to register for his talk.

Health Canada Issues Voluntary Cannabis Recall Guide

By Marguerite Arnold
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Last month, Health Canada published a Voluntary Recall Guide to help producers not only stay in compliance but run their operations better. While it will certainly prove to be a critically useful guide for Canadian LPs who are now subject to domestic regulations, it is also a highly useful document for others. Namely, newly legalizing U.S. states and even European countries now looking for guidance on how to shape, structure and regulate their own burgeoning domestic cultivation markets either underway now or about to start.

What Is Of Particular Interest?

While it may sound like a no-brainer, the guide lays out, albeit in very broad strokes, the kinds of procedures all licensed producers should be implementing anyway to efficiently run a compliant business.

It could be considered, on one level, a critical start-up business guide for those still looking for guidance in Canada (as well as elsewhere). Domestically, the document is clearly a handy template, if not something to create checklists from, in setting up a vital and at this point, mandatory part of a compliant cultivation facility in Canada.

The guide also covers not only domestically distributed product but that bound for export.

One of the more intriguing aspects of the guide is also how low tech it is. For example, the guide suggests that a license holder responsible for recall notices, plan on quick response methods that include everything from a self-addressed postcard to an email acknowledgement link.

That said, recalls must be reported to the government exclusively via an email address (no mail drop is listed). And suggestions about media outlets to which to submit recall notices are noticeably digitally heavy. Websites and social media platforms are suggested as the first two options of posting a recall. Posters at retailers is listed dead last.

What is also notable, not to mention commendable, is the inclusion of how to include supply chain partners in recall notices, as well as the mandate to do it in the first place.

Also Of Note

Also excellent is the attempt to begin to set a checklist and process about evaluating both the process of the recall itself and further identification of future best practices.Health Canada also expects companies to show proof of follow up efforts to reach non-responders all along the supply chain.

For example, the report suggests that LPs obtain not only feedback from both their supply chain and consumers involved, but elicit information on how such entities and individuals received the information in the first place. Further, the volume of responses (especially from end consumers) or lack thereof should be examined specifically to understand how effective the outreach effort actually was in reaching its target audience.

This is especially important because Health Canada also expects companies to show proof of follow up efforts to reach non-responders all along the supply chain.

Regulatory Reporting Guidelines

One of the reasons that this guide is so useful is that Health Canada also expects to receive full written reports touching upon all of the issues it lays out within 30 days of the recall announcement itself.

In turn, this is also a clear attempt to begin to start to document quality controls and attempts to correct the same quickly in an industry still plagued by product quality issues, particularly at home, but with an eye to overseas markets.

As such, it will also prove invaluable to other entities, far beyond Canadian LPs involved in the process this document lays out. Namely, it is a good comprehensive, but easy to follow and generally applicable guide for new states (in the case of the US) if not national governments in Europe and beyond who are now starting to look at regulating their own burgeoning industries from the ground up.

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Steep Hill Expands To New Jersey

By Aaron G. Biros
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steep-hill-labs-logo

steep-hill-labs-logoAccording to a press release published today, Steep Hill has signed a licensing agreement with Green Analytics East to open a new laboratory, Steep Hill New Jersey. “We are pleased to announce a licensee partnership with Green Analytics East to bring Steep Hill to New Jersey,” says Jeffrey Monat, chairman of the Steep Hill board of directors. “Since 2008, Steep Hill has developed and now employs cutting edge cannabis testing practices, providing analysis to ensure safe medicine and products. With Green Analytics East as our trusted partner, New Jersey patients and consumers can be confident that all Steep Hill-tested products will fully comply with public safety and regulatory standards.”

They haven’t obtained the local permits yet, but the press release states they expect to be open for business in the third quarter of 2019. Steep Hill began their cannabis laboratory testing business in California. Since their start in 2008, the company has grown rapidly, developing programs for regulatory compliance testing in medical and recreational cannabis markets. They have also ventured into research and development testing, licensing, genetics and remote testing.

The company has a history of expanding into new markets via licensing partnerships, including states such as Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Maryland, OregonHawaii, among others. As recently as May of last year, Steep Hill announced they will expand their international footprint as well, including opening locations in countries like Mexico, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, all through their Canadian branch.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy

The news of Steep Hill moving into the New Jersey market comes at a time when Governor Phil Murphy and lawmakers in the state are in the midst of planning adult use legalization. According to Shannon Hoffman, director of operations of Steep Hill New Jersey, they are hoping lawmakers reach a decision soon. “We are excited to bring our focus of service, accuracy, and scientific knowledge and expertise to the New Jersey market,” says Hoffman. “We look forward to serving the licensed producers, the patient community, and hopefully soon, the adult use consumer.”

How To Choose The Right Cannabis Consultant For Your Company

By Martha Ostergar
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The cannabis industry is growing fast as more states implement legislation to legalize cannabis in different ways. If you’re trying to break in or keep your place in this new market, it can be difficult to understand and comply with ever-changing government regulations as you try and scale your business.

Cannabis businesses need to comply with a range of new local, state and federal regulations related to cannabis specifically, in addition to regulations already in place for the pharmaceutical and food industries to ensure their products are safe for public consumption. On top of that, there are the complexities of managing a supply chain, including growing, warehousing, transportation, food safety requirements, product labeling, business plans, marketing, selling and any other necessities that come with running a businesses.

This is a lot of new information when you’re vying for your place in the cannabis industry. That’s why some businesses are turning to consultants to help. Consultancy is a great and time-tested way to grow your businesses and keep a competitive edge. But just like every other industry, when you choose a consultant, there are specific things to look for and avoid.each party will have work to do in order to communicate clearly, define responsibilities and execute on a plan.

Understand the Role of Consultants

The expertise of  cannabis consultants can vary widely. Usually there’s no “one stop shop” for everything you need to run your business, meaning consultants often specialize in a specific area. Consultant expertise includes specialties such as cultivation, manufacturing, food safety, dispensary, transportation, legal, accountants, human resources and more, all within different regulatory compliance wrappers.

It’s important to remember that consultants are usually not responsible for setting goals for you, but the right consultant can help you refine, meet and even exceed your goals. However, each party will have work to do in order to communicate clearly, define responsibilities and execute on a plan.

Focus on Your Specific Needs

Identifying your specific needs and understanding what success looks like for you is a critical step to take before contacting any consultant. This prep work helps you identify what kind of consulting you actually need and what you’re willing to spend to get it. Some consultants can help you tackle more than one area, but most will specialize. In fact, choosing several specialized consultants (if you have many needs), may feel like it costs more up front, but it will likely save you frustration, headaches and money in the long run. Additionally, if a consultant claims they can do everything in several areas of expertise, they may be overpromising on what they can actually deliver to you as a customer.

Ask the Right Questions

When vetting a consultant, it’s your job to ask probing questions. Don’t hold back and don’t be put off by vague answers. If a consultancy avoids questions or can’t give clear answers, they may be overpromising or being less than honest about their skillset. Here are some general areas of discussion to help you get started when interviewing consultants:

Consultants can help you get through unfamiliar territory or help you to manage your team’s workload.
  • The consultant’s relevant experience.
  • Past or current client references.
  • Detailed discussion of your specific needs as a business.
  • How much time can the consultant dedicate to you as a client.
  • Detailed outline of the consultation plan, including a clear timeline.
  • Responsibilities of each party, deliverables and what success looks like for customer sign off.
  • Certifications and credentials if relevant to your consultation needs (e.g. legal, accounting, regulatory).
  • What is and is not included with their quoted fee, and what you may be charged for as an “add on” to your contract.
  • Any possible conflicts of interest, including how consultants separate work for clients who are competitors.

Avoid Red Flags

As with any burgeoning market, there will be consultants who get into the cannabis space that are more interested in making money than helping you as an individual client as businesses work to legitimize the industry as a whole. Doing your research and asking for referrals helps, but there are also red flags to look for. Some of these red flags may pop up due to inexperience and some may be a sign of bad actors in the consultant market.

  • Asking for equity as payment.
  • Refusing to provide references.
  • Avoiding questions or giving unclear answers.
  • Unwilling to track time and itemize costs on bills.
  • Overpromising AKA “this sounds too good to be true.”
  • Dominating the process instead of treating you like a partner.

Build a Strong Relationship

To get the most out of a consultancy experience, it’s important for both parties to work at building a strong business relationship. You know you’re hitting the sweet spot in business relationships when you have well-oiled communication and feedback loops, including honesty around expectations and frustrations from both parties. A great consultant wants feedback so they can improve their process, therefore they will actively listen to and address your concerns. Additionally, it’s important for you as a client to also be open to feedback and ready to make changes to your process to get the best return on your investment.