2024 Spring Cannabis Science Conference Wrap Up
By Andy Stinson, Scientific Engagement Lead-Commercial Product Development, Labstat
Labstat attended the 2024 Spring Cannabis Science Conference in Kansas City this year to share our new pesticides method that’s required for EU export.
The two-day conference was well-attended but is certainly not as big an event as Emerald or MJBiz. The conference offers booths, presentations, and vendors.
It may be worth checking out if you are in the U.S. market or want to learn about the science behind cannabis. New next year, there will be one Cannabis conference instead of two events. It’s unclear at this point if the event will be in the spring or fall. Stay tuned!
2024 Spring Cannabis Conference Highlights
One of the big takeaways was that the U.S. Federal government issued a proposed rule to move marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug and what that could potentially mean for the public. Even though it is a major accomplishment, it is not the end goal but a first step of many. This means that if the rule is accepted the way it was written, there will be an open comment period and more reviews before moving to the next step.
Second, there were several presentations about the relationship between water activity and total yeast and mold growth. Victoria Pretti from the NYC Office of Cannabis Management highlighted an apparent issue with mold growth in cannabis in New York City.
Third, John Swider (Infinite Chemical Analysis) gave a presentation about the need to standardize the cannabinoid methods in California. He gave an in-depth view of the results and what factors play a role in determining the final concentrations for potency. Here are highlights of his presentation:
Problems Highlighted
- Direct financial incentive for reporting high values.
- No pushback from regulators.
- California has average label claims above 30% THC.
- This is a ~40% increase from 2023.
Potential Resolutions
- California 2022 released a newer method requiring all labs to use this method and perform a validation.
- All labs by January 2024 must use this method for flower and uninfused pre-rolls.
Overview of Issues with the New California Method
- Smaller sample size (0.5 to 0.2 grams – more variability).
- More expensive (solvent cost) – causing more labs to close.
Finally, Andrew Waye of Health Canada presented on Metal Particles Found in Cannabis Vapes with the Use of Advanced Imaging (ICP-MS). Highlights of his talk include…
- Similar to nicotine vapes.
- Illicit vapes contained higher levels of Pb.
- Other metals were found, such as Co, Cr, Cu, and Ni, above the USP concentration limits.
All in all, the conference included some helpful research and information for the industry. Whenever the 2025 conference takes place, Labstat will be there.
