Cannabis Laboratory Fundamentals, 1st ed. 2021

The legislative requirement for cannabis to undergo laboratory testing has followed legalization of medical and recreational use in every U.S. state to date.  Cannabis safety testing is a new investment opportunity within the emerging cannabis market that is separate from cultivation, processing, and distribution, allowing individuals and organizations who may have been reluctant to enter previously a new entry route to the cannabis space. However, many of the costs, timelines, operational requirements, and compliance issues are overlooked by people who have not been exposed to regulated laboratory testing.

Cannabis Laboratory Fundamentals provides an in-depth review of the key issues that impact cannabis testing laboratories and provides recommendations and solutions to avoid common ? but expensive ? mistakes. The text goes beyond methodology to include sections on economics, regulation, and operational challenges, making it useful for both new and experienced cannabislaboratory operators, as well as all those who want to understand the opportunities and risks of this industry.

1. An Introduction to Cannabis Laboratory Safety and Compliance Testing.- 2. Cannabis Safety Testing Laboratory Floor Planning & Design.- 3. Laboratory Safety from Site Selection to Daily Operation.- 4. Preparing Cannabis Laboratory Business License Applications.- 5. Quality Assurance and the Cannabis Analytical Laboratory.- 6. Cannabis Laboratory Management: Staffing, Training and Quality.- 7. Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS).- 8. Pesticide and Mycotoxin Detection and Quantitation.- 9. Cannabinoid Detection and Quantitation.- 10. Utilizing GC-MS and GC Instrumentation for Residual Solvents in Cannabis and Hemp.- 11. Elemental Analysis of Cannabis and Hemp – Regulations, Instrumentation, and Best Practices.- 12. Quantitative Terpene Profiling from Cannabis Samples.- 13. Laboratory Safety and Compliance Testing for Microorganism Contamination in Marijuana.

Shaun R. Opie, PhD, is the CEO of E4 Bioscience, a cannabis laboratory consulting firm in Charlevoix, Michigan.  As serial entrepreneur, Dr. Opie has co-founded and operated 5 laboratories in different verticals including medical research, clinical diagnostics, and cannabis safety testing.  Dr. Opie has held several adjunct faculty appointments at nationally recognized universities and was an invited Entrepreneurship Expert for 2 years in the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.  He is a participating member of the AOAC International - Cannabis Analytical Science Program (Microbiological Contaminants & Proficiency Testing), a workgroup member for the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency, and a regular speaker about the cannabis laboratory industry.