Modern Canna Science laboratories provide responsible and reliable THC testing for medical marijuana. Our expert technicians use state-of-the-art methods for testing THC concentration so that providers, patients, and dispensaries can make informed decisions about medical cannabis treatment. We are the leading laboratory testing facility for THC in Florida.
The medical effects of marijuana are due largely to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a cannabinoid.
Cannabinoids are the chemical compounds found in cannabis. They react with the brain’s receptors and with the human body. THC is the cannabinoid primarily responsible for the medical effects of marijuana, including pain relief, relief from stress, and anti-anxiety.
Arriving at these effects, however, requires that medical cannabis contain the correct level of THC. To determine that medical marijuana has the correct level, it is necessary to test it rigorously.
Why Test THC?
Like medical marijuana, prescription drugs in the United States achieve their potency and effects due to chemical compounds. Unlike medical marijuana, however, drugs available through prescription in the United States are regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Regulation ensures that the medication patients need has been scientifically proven to be both safe and efficacious. In other words, it has gone through an extensive set of clinical trials that have determined it will not harm patients and is proven to help the condition for which the FDA has approved it.
Because of marijuana’s history as an illegal substance, however, it has not been regulated in the same way as prescription medications. Yet patients need to know that the medical marijuana they are prescribed is just as safe and efficacious as any other drug they are prescribed. How can they be sure?
That’s where laboratory testing of THC comes in. Laboratory testing is used to determine the concentration and potency of THC. Once medical marijuana providers know what the concentrations are via a reliable method, they can determine the best medication to prescribe their patients.
Although the legal use of medical marijuana is increasing and medical cannabis is available in many states, it is not available in all of them. Federal legalization is still in the future. Currently, there is no one set standard. Some states have standardized testing through a state agency. Others use a locally standardized test.
Do Labs Test THC Potency?
It is important that standardized tests be developed. Validation of quantitative data is necessary for results to be reliable and repeatable and accepted scientifically. There are an increasing number of laboratories that test THC levels for medical marijuana. In the future, cross-validation among responsible labs such as ours should be possible.
Cross-validation relies on standardized methods. Testing will likely be standardized as time goes on. Modern Canna Science is at the forefront of reliable, responsible testing of THC.
How to Test THC in the Lab
The first step in testing THC in the lab is to grind up samples and add a solution that separates the cannabinoids from the rest of the plant.
The cannabinoids are then analyzed. The most common, and most widely accepted, test of THC potency is to test the cannabinoids using a high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). HPLC is widely thought to be better than other chromatography methods, such as gas chromatography (GC), because the latter requires heat.
HPLC’s absence of heat means that the substance can be measured without a danger of heating changing the compound. When GC is used, the structure of acidic cannabinoids can be changed. Acidic cannabinoids are one of the most important things to test, especially for medical marijuana products like edibles.
Medical marijuana products that can be tested for THC levels include:
- Extracts, oils, and wax
- Cannabis bud and plant matter
- Food and other edibles, including butter
Another method commonly used in medical marijuana laboratory testing for THC potency is near infrared spectroscopy (NIR). It is a preferred method for use in heterogeneous materials or blended materials that need to be analyzed.
Reliable, Quantifiable THC Test Results
Today’s medical marijuana patients need a high standard of care. To receive it, precise knowledge about the pharmacological effects and contents of their medicinal products is needed. To learn more about cannabinoid testing services in Florida, we invite you to contact Modern Canna Science by using our online contact form.
More information on tests for THC levels in medical cannabis:
- Mayo Clinic. Mayo Medical Laboraties. Test ID: THCU Carboxy-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Confirmation, Urine. Test ID: THCU Carboxy-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Confirmation, Urine.
https://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/8898 - Lland, Rae. Cannabis 101. What Is THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)? Leafly.com. https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/what-is-tetrahydrocannabinol