The cannabis industry has witnessed a gradual transition from illegal to lawful therapeutic drugs. Medicinal cannabis has shown promising results as a pharmacotherapy in the treatment of rare conditions, such as spasticity associated with sclerosis and pain management during cancer treatment. Similar to other medicinal drugs, the cannabis testing industry aims to provide quality products that provide a higher degree of safety and surpass regulatory affairs to use on patients during treatment. As the cannabis testing market matures, navigating complex state regulations has become paramount.
At each stage of medical cannabis drug manufacturing, from finalizing raw material to manufacturing and quality check—multiple tests have to be performed to meet quality standards before commercialization. If companies fail to pass the regulatory test, they have to stop the process and start again, ultimately affecting the final line. Though medicinal cannabis is legalized for treatment purposes in some regions, stringent testing and regulation is mandatory to safeguard patient’s health. This is the reason why cannabis testing labs need to implement a quality management system that meets consumer safety standards and expectations.
An Overview of Medicinal Cannabis
Medical Cannabis, often known as medical marijuana, has been derived from cannabis plants. It is used to treat certain medical conditions and side effects associated with the treatment. Cannabis contains active compounds such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THS) and cannabidiol (CBD). It acts upon brain receptors to alter the neurotransmitter release, produces a sense of calmness in the mind, and makes the patient relaxed. Medicinal cannabis is effective in the treatment of diseases such as:
▪ Alzheimer’s disease
▪ Epilepsy and seizures
▪ HIV/AIDS
▪ Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
▪ Crohn’s disease
▪ Glaucoma
▪ Severe and chronic pain
▪ Multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms
▪ Conditions such as nausea or vomiting caused by cancer treatment
Regardless of cannabis’s therapeutic benefits, it is essential to understand the legal regulations that are associated with the research and development of these drugs.
Countries legalized the Medical Cannabis-
Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Switzerland, Turkey, Uruguay, the US and Zimbabwe.
What Are The Challenges With Cannabis Potency Testing?
Some of the challenges that are associated with cannabis testing include:
- Evolving Regulator Scenarios
The medical cannabis market has evolved from an illicit industry to legal therapeutic drugs. Several unconventional processes are used for the cultivation and extraction of cannabis. It is worth noting that compared to other pharmaceuticals, the cannabis industry still stands out because it allows a wide range of products to be adulterated in its production. While there are advanced techniques available for the accurate quantification of active ingredients, efforts are still required to provide a standardized cannabis testing protocol. The challenges become more evident when regulatory bodies introduce legal changes in protocol timely. Thus, the cannabis lab testing market has to establish quality management processes that easily harmonize with changing process regulations.
- Absence of Quality Standards
One of the significant challenges faced by the cannabis testing services market is the unavailability of specific standardized quality control protocols in analytical methods. Cannabis products have a diversified nature as they contain different types of cannabinoids; there are no standard metrics on how to manufacture them and perform potency testing. This may create difficulty for the cannabis lab testing market to develop validated analytical methods that can provide accurate results.
- Prohibition on Techniques For Testing Contamination
The cannabis testing market also prohibits the use of several techniques and standardized quality management tools that include THC testing and CBD testing. Cannabis is a phytoremediation plant that can easily absorb chemicals present inside the soil, such as pesticides and even contaminants. Moreover, it contains Terpenes such as myrcene and limonene that release unique aromas. The component is difficult to extract and quantify with offset methodology. Due to the prohibition of techniques for quality analysis of cannabis, there are no analytical methods available for cannabis potency tests. As a result, it is challenging to manage the quality of the cannabis products at the production stage to ensure the safety of consumers.
- Lack of Access to Specific Metrics and Standard material
Another big challenge which is associated with cannabis testing is the lack of access to cannabis-specific metrics and standard material. Cannabis laboratories must possess access to validate analytical methods and standard reference material that is easily comparable and traceable to samples. Additionally, there are no specific cannabis specific metrics available for measuring product quality, such as PPM (parts per million) and TPM (Total Productive Maintenance). The lack of standard metrics and materials limits the potential of the cannabis lab testing market to provide better testing services for quality management.
- Complex Production Process
With the rising demand for quality medicinal cannabis in the market, the manufacturing process becomes complex as it involves multiple stages, including processing, identification, cultivation, standardization, and packaging. The cannabis lab technicians, distributors, and quality assurance members must ensure that they use standard quality management systems that assimilate with all production processes effortlessly.
Cannabis Testing Market Landscape and Future Progress
In recent years, after witnessing the therapeutic value of marijuana, the use of medical cannabis, adult-use cannabis, and recreational cannabis has been legalized. Several studies have shown that cannabis helps in pain management during chemotherapy and chronic pain associated with the treatment of cancer. Notably, with the legalization of medicinal cannabis, it is expected that the global cannabis testing market will grow at a CAGR of 22.8% in the future, according to Roots Analysis.
Some of the recent news that are associated with cannabis testing market includes:
⬝ In August 2023, Temple University collaborated with Cersco Labs to determine the potential of marijuana (cannabis) in the therapeutic world.
⬝ In August 2023, Smithers, one of the leading providers of consulting, testing and compliance services, announced their acquisition of Midway LAB Operations to enter into the Ohio cannabis testing market.
⬝ In May 2023, Trichome Analytical announced the licensing of PhytoFacts, a cannabis analytical data tool aiming to provide a complete profile of the tested cannabis to the clientele.
The legalization of medicinal marijuana across the globe led to the surge in the production of cannabis products by adhering to the regulatory requirements. However, the cannabis potency testing protocol has yet to be standardized across different laboratories. To address the challenges regarding regulatory affairs, the cannabis testing market is adopting advanced technologies that help to standardize the quality and quantification of these products and assure safety to be used as therapeutic products.
▪ Cannabis quality software helps to manage the quality assurance of the product during the production stage.
▪ Advancement in the cannabis-integrated tools helps to improve operational efficiency and streamline production and quality management.
Key Takeaway
Overall, the limitations in cannabis testing and regulatory protocols greatly impact the production of these products. However, with the latest innovative solutions and by following regulatory standard protocols, cannabis laboratories can meet safety and quality parameters for the commercialization of medicinal products and support the cannabis testing market in the future.
About Roots Analysis
Roots Analysis is a global leader in the pharma / biotech market research. Having worked with over 750 clients worldwside, including Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, academia, venture capitalists and strategic investors for more than a decade, we offer a highly analytical / data-driven perspective to a network of over 450,000 senior industry stakeholders looking for credible market insights. All reports provided by us are structured in a way that enables the reader to develop a thorough perspective on the given subject. Apart from writing reports on identified areas, we provide bespoke research / consulting services dedicated to serve our clients in the best possible way.
