By Rebecca Rivas

Lab experts say the state’s mandated testing process for marijuana is not designed for the chemicals used to convert hemp CBD to THC.

Marijuana dispensaries and warehouses across Missouri are holding on to more than 62,000 products in special vaults. 

The state suspects that they were infused with a questionable THC concentrate, or distillate, purchased from a Robertsville-based licensed marijuana manufacturer called Delta Extraction. 

Delta Extraction is fighting to get the Aug. 14 recall overturned — and one of the company’s main arguments is that the products were tested by state-licensed labs and don’t pose a health risk that would require a full recall. 

Delta’s general manager Jack Maritz told the Administrative Hearing Commission on Aug. 14 that the distillate has been distributed throughout the entire state of Missouri for more than a year. 

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By Rebecca Rivas

Other business owners say they had no idea they were paying marijuana prices for a ‘synthetic’ THC that had been converted from hemp.

Richard Batenburg Jr. feels deceived and cheated. 

His cannabis brand, Colorado-based The Clear, has been partnering with a licensed Missouri manufacturer to produce pre-rolled joints. Some were infused with a THC concentrate, or distillate, purchased from a Robertsville-based company called Delta Extraction.

When the state issued a recall last month of all products made with the same distillate — a total of 62,000 products — Batenburg’s company was stuck with 90,000 joints taking up space in a Missouri warehouse that he still can’t do anything with.

But it’s not just the recall that got under his skin. 

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By Lee Johnson, Marc Malone, Erik Paulson, Josh Swider, Dave Marelius, Susan Anderson, & Dominic Black

Abstract

Background

Hemp-derived delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (∆⁹ THC) products are freely available for sale across much of the USA, but the federal legislation allowing their sale places only minimal requirements on companies. Products must contain no more than 0.3% ∆⁹ THC by dry weight, but no limit is placed on overall dosage and there is no requirement that products are tested. However, some states—such as Colorado—specifically prohibit products created by “chemically modifying” a natural hemp component.

Methods

Fifty-three ∆⁹ THC products were ordered and submitted to InfiniteCAL laboratory for analysis. The lab analysis considered potency, the presence of impurities, and whether the ∆⁹ THC present was natural or converted from CBD. The presence of age verification, company-conducted testing, and warning labels was also considered.

Results

While 96.2% of products were under the legal ∆9 THC limit, 66.0% differed from their stated dosage by more than 10%, and although 84.9% provided a lab report to customers, 71.1% of these did not check for impurities. Additionally, 49% of products converted CBD to THC to achieve their levels, and only 15.1% performed age verification at checkout.

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By Erik Paulson, Josh Swider, Zachary Eisenberg

Cannabis consumers in California are being defrauded, and it’s the Department of Cannabis Control’s fault. Lab shopping has become so widespread that labs openly advertise their higher potency values to gain customers without fear of recourse.

Fraud

The THC content you see on a label when you walk into a dispensary? There is a very good chance the number is false.

In every state with regulated cannabis, there is a requirement to label the potency of products so consumers can make informed purchasing and medicating decisions. The regulations usually state that the THC/cannabinoid content on the label must be within a particular relative percent difference of the actual tested results for the product to be salable. In California, that threshold is +/- 10%.

The problem is, with all the focus on THC percentage in flower and concentrate products, enormous pressure has been placed on cultivators and manufacturers to push their numbers up. Higher numbers = higher prices. But unfortunately, improving their growing, extraction and formulation processes only gets companies so far. So, they proceed to ‘lab shop’: giving their business to whichever lab provides them the highest potency.

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By Gleb Oleinik

By Lee Johnson