I am a cannabis scientist, ask me anything THC, CBD, or any other cannabis related questions, AMA

[u/HPNP]

Hi Reddit, Gair Laucius, Chief Science Officer from High Purity Natural Products here, I am here to answer your questions about cannabis, CBD, THC, or any other cannabinoids you want to ask about.

This AMA is closed! Thanks everyone for the great questions, I'm sorry I couldn't answer them all - If you'd like to know more about my company, please visit https://highpuritynaturalproducts.com/about-us/

My experience:

I am an experienced cannabis researcher with expertise in ethanol and super-critical CO2 extraction, gas chromatography mass spectrometry, and high performance liquid chromatography analytics.

I have also conducted research on Cannabis sativa with specific focus on proteins related to cannabinoid biosynthesis pathways. Extensive research experience with DNA and RNA extraction with downstream PCR and qPCR. Highly experienced in terpene and cannabinoid extraction and profiling using HPLC and GCMS.

If it has anything to do with weed, AMA!

Proof: https://twitter.com/HighPurityNP/status/1425475523858341889

Edit: 12:15PM Will be taking a short break for lunch, will return for some more questions shortly. Keep them coming!

Edit2: 1:00PM Wrapping up for now, hope to answer a few more questions later this evening. Thank you to all who asked questions!

[u/notoriousCBD]

This absolutely is true. Every batch harvested is required to go through the battery of tests relative to black market flower, which of course has no requirements. He never said black market isn't tested, just that it doesn't have the requirements.

Of course there are loopholes, and some are pretty ridiculous. For Colorado, each batch much have a certain percentage of the final mass go through all of these tests. It is very easy to pick a sample that isn't representative of the whole batch and get the numbers you're looking for. But this would also be easy for any black market grower to do as well. It's why I don't necessarily trust terpene or cannabinoid percentages I see labeled, unless I do it myself or I trust the tester.

I've never purchased black market Cannabis that has been tested with HPLC or shown a Total yeast and mold dilution summary.

[u/perfecto_falcon → u/notoriousCBD]

lol you guys are cute. Defensive much?

I'd bet money you've purchased "black market" Cannabis fully tested straight out of a dispensary.

You contradict yourself multiple times and claim to disagree with me while agreeing with me at the same time. "He never said black market isn't tested", oh he just implies it? "Every batch must be tested" but "of course there are loopholes" lol great logic. What relevance does "But this would also be easy for any black market grower to do as well" have here if there aren't any regulations? You're defending the process but at the same time "don't necessarily trust terpene or cannabinoid percentages I see labeled, unless I do it myself or I trust the tester."

Plenty of dispensaries sell straight trash buds, clones with pests, mold, pre-rolls that have been blasted, yadda yadda.

The exceptions to the lists and increases of "acceptable levels" have all been upped too.

On and on...

TL;DR I get, it you like marketing pretending to be science. And you mostly agree with me, but also don't and like contradicting yourself and making confusing semi-related assertions based on unclear premises. Cool.

[u/notoriousCBD → u/perfecto_falcon]

Yes, I defended that guy's statements, because they are all true. Just like you disagreed with what I typed and defended yourself, that's how this works in typical discourse. Being defensive if that's what you want to call it.

I should've been more specific in saying that by black market I meant grown on the black market not just sold. I figured that you would get that in context of the larger conversation. If you are including that legally grown, but illegally sold, then all of that flower was required to have been tested as well. But even stuff sold on the black market could be anything, even if it's packaged as something purchased from the dispensary.

I disagreed with you commenting that the other guy was wrong and agreed with you that there are loopholes, two different premises. You can logically disagree with one premise and agree with another. His comment, word for word, said that "The same information cannot be provided for unregulated markets," in regards to testing standards, which is completely true. You can believe that he implied more, but I do not get that implication there.

Legally being required to test every batch and saying there are loopholes are both correct statements, wheres the flaw in that logic? Those things are not mutually inclusive. The state of Colorado legally requires the dispensary I work for, as a scientist, to test every batch for total yeast and mold, cannabinoids, terpenes, active water, heavy metals and, sometimes, mycotoxins. And, there are definitely loopholes that allow the dispensary to throw off a test, or show results that aren't representative of the whole batch. There is no way we could possibly not test a batch, though. I'm directly involved with all of our testing so I know every loophole to use. This is why I don't trust cannabinoid numbers at the dispensary, and I really don't even care when I purchase. I'm looking at the flower not the numbers when I buy for myself.

You say I'm defending the process, but I don't know what process I'm defending. I can say that the process (lab required testing) is real, and legally required, but I don't agree with some of the standards that have been set. That's why I'm on the ASTM board to help set those standards. In Colorado, none of the "acceptable levels" have changed since I've been working in the industry, and most of those follow any food industries standards.

Yes, tons of dispensaries sell clones that are covered in a variety of pests, as well as very low quality flower and a bunch of other shit that should never touch consumers hands. The illegally grown black market is also full of that as well.

TL;DR You can argue semantics all you want, but the logic is solid. People CAN agree with one thing and disagree with another, that's not contradiction. It's a crazy thought, I know, but you'll catch on. And, your mom called me cute the other night too :)

[u/Faxme123 → u/notoriousCBD]

Have you tested d8?

[u/notoriousCBD → u/Faxme123]

No, the dispensary I work for is not involved with it whatsoever.