What’s really in that medical marijuana?
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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – When medical marijuana patients buy their prescribed drug from dispensaries and clubs around the state they never really know how potent – or safe – the product is. It’s guesswork with potency and safety varying widely by grower and batch.
The Need to Determine the Safety and Potency
You cannot tell by looking at it either the potency or safety of medical marijuana products. To know that requires lab testing prior to the product reaching the hands of patients.
Potency varies widely and a patient’s purchase could include unseen and potentially dangerous pesticides and contaminants that include mold, spores and fungi. Since the medical marijuana can be eaten or smoked or used in beverages it’s important for consumers, growers and the clubs and dispensaries selling a wide range of products from many different growers to factually determine that the product is safe for human consumption.
California is one of the 15 states (and the District of Columbia) that allow for possession and usage of medical marijuana. Medical marijuana is most commonly prescribed by doctors for chronic pain.
Since transportation of medical marijuana samples over state lines is illegal, California clubs, dispensaries and growers must use a lab based in California to test their products.
Lighthouse Labs, a new testing facility based in Fresno, California provides information to growers, patients and collectives that can assist in improving the quality of medical cannabis.
A new testing service for consumers, clubs and growers
The lab’s services include providing Clean Cannabis™ testing and results for collectives, clubs, growers and individuals who carry a medical marijuana card provided by a doctor.
Potency
· Lighthouse Labs tests medical marijuana samples for the potency by screening for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannibinol (CBN).
Pesticides
· Samples are also tested for pesticide contamination, including: Organophosphates, Carbamate and Chlorinated Compounds.
Soil and Growth Mediums – Nutrient Testing
· The lab provides soil testing services to growers that includes detection of molds, fungi and spores as well as nutrient analysis of soils and growing mediums for phosphorous, nitrogen, amines and chlorine.
About Lighthouse Labs
Lighthouse Labs was created to provide California-based independent analytical testing for the potency, purity and quality of medical marijuana. The company’s goal is to provide collectives, growers and consumers peace of mind by certifying that their product is, indeed, Clean Cannabis™. The Lab also provides growers with information to assist in the growing of a quality, safe product.
Lighthouse Labs uses validated laboratory methodology to serve collective dispensaries and growers throughout California and patients with valid California State Medical Marijuana prescriptions. Quality control is strictly maintained in the lab, which adheres to guidelines used by analytical laboratories throughout the United States.
The Medical Marijuana Program (MMP) was established to provide a voluntary medical marijuana identification card issuance and registry program for qualified patients and their caregivers. The web-based registry system allows law enforcement and the public to verify the validity of qualified patient or caregiver’s card as authorization to possess, grow, transport and/or use Medical Marijuana in California. To facilitate the verification of authorized cardholders, the verification database is available on the internet at www.calmmp.ca.gov.
In 2003, Senate Bill (SB) 420 (Chapter 875, Statutes of 2003) was passed as an extension and clarification of Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. The Medical Marijuana Program, within CDPH, is administered through a patient’s county of residence. Upon obtaining a recommendation from their physician for use of medicinal marijuana, patients and their primary caregivers may apply for and be issued, a Medical Marijuana Identification Card. Senate Bill 420 also required that the MMP be fully supported through the card application processing fees. Both the state and the counties have authority to cover their costs for the program through these application fees.
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/mmp/Pages/Medical%20Marijuana%20Program.aspx
http://www.medbd.ca.gov/medical_marijuana.html
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