CANNAINVESTOR Magazine December / January 2016 | Page 14

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Digipath intends to continue adding new customers as they come into the market and to work with the Conference of Western Attorney’s General to instill good laboratory standards and practices around the country.

Dedication to the Highest Standards and Best Business Practices

Laboratory testing is one of the vital platform technologies in the cannabis marketplace and must become standardized, consistent, and robust in order to maintain the long-term health of the cannabis industry.

Dr. Cindy Orser, Ph.D., a 20-year biotech and diagnostic industry veteran, leads these efforts on behalf of Digipath, serving as the liaison between cannabis providers and regulatory agencies, as well as working in academia in several key roles. In addition to her work, she holds 18 patents and authored 41 peer-reviewed publications after earning her Ph.D. from the University of California Berkeley and B.S. in botany from Montana State University. Through Dr. Orser’s work with Nevada state officials, Digipath pioneered cannabis lab testing protocols in Nevada’s implementation of the nation’s most stringent policies on cannabis safety, which has positioned Digipath as a market leader in cannabis lab testing.

Digipath Labs Awarded the Emerald Test Badge for Both Potency and Microbial Screening

The Emerald Test® uses the standard Inter-Laboratory Comparison Proficiency Testing (ILC/PT) program for evaluating how accurately and dependably testing labs perform, by comparing how well the lab measures anonymous samples. ILC/PT programs are common in many testing industries, including environmental, food, pharmaceutical, water, and petrochemical, providing a point of reference on how well the testing labs are performing individually and as a group. Individual labs can use their ILC/PT results to verify proficiency to their customers and state regulatory bodies and to point out analytical tests needing further validation effort.

The Emerald Potency Test requires the quantitative determination of five cannabinoids (THC, THC-A, CBD, CBDA, and CBN) in methanol between 10-1,000 μg/ml. The Emerald Test Advisory Panel uses a criterion of scoring within 2 standard deviations on cannabinoid analytes to determine which labs receive an Emerald Test Badge. These Badges provide a measure of assurance and reliability to the industry, especially to those who depend on the testing lab's results for safety, health, and product performance.