Laboratory Potency Inflation Erodes Trust and Credibility
Casual consumers typically don’t think about potency inflation. When a person legally buys a consumable product at a store, they trust the information printed on the package is accurate, thanks to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards. Cannabis, unlike other consumable products, is illegal under federal law. As such, we are left with a nationwide patchwork of rules and regulations. In the absence of national standards for labels, standardization of testing methodologies, or federal oversight, labels on cannabis products often misrepresent the level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other active cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) —not to mention potentially harmful contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, and microbes. The professed purpose of a legal industry is that it is better able to provide safe access to high-quality, accurately lab-tested products. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of the ...