Cannabis Scientist
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AUGUST 2018 # 05 the Cannabis Scientist Upfront Upfront Feature Sitting Down With Mobile testing hits UK relaxes rules on Who are your cannabis THC trailblazer, Raphael the road medical cannabis scientists of the year? Mechoulam 6 10 20 – 23 26 – 27 Smashing the Grass Ceiling Cannabis – a fresh opportunity for women in science? 12 – 19 www.theanalyticalscientist.com REFINE™ NEW YOUR WORKFLOW UCT'S ALL NEW REFINETM 96 WELLPLATE AND COLUMNS FEATURE A UNIQUE SUBMICRON FRIT COMBINATION FOR EFFECTIVE CANNABIS FILTRATION PRIOR TO LC-MS/MS ANALYSIS UCT. INC • 2731 BARTRAM RD, BRISTOL, PA 19007 • 800.385.3153 • UNITEDCHEM.COM ™ NEW REFINE Contents YOUR WORKFLOW 12 TM 05 Editorial Features 26 UCT'S ALL NEW REFINE 96 WELLPLATE AND COLUMNS The Great Divide, by Charlotte Barker 12 Smashing the Grass Ceiling FEATURE A UNIQUE SUBMICRON FRIT COMBINATION FOR EFFECTIVE Meet seven successful female scientists blazing a trail in the CANNABIS FILTRATION PRIOR TO LC-MS/MS ANALYSIS cannabis industry. Upfront 20 Th e Cannabis Scientists 06 Take the High Road of the Year 2018 The votes are in! Who were 08 Yes We Can(nabis)! your picks for the top cannabis scientists of 2018? 08 Trip Advisor 09 Leaving Them Breathless 24 Application Note 09 An FDA First Sitting Down With 26 Raphael Mechoulam, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. UCT. INC • 2731 BARTRAM RD, BRISTOL, PA 19007 • 800.385.3153 • UNITEDCHEM.COM www.theanalyticalscientist.com The Great Divide Editorial If we really want to fill the cannabis research vacuum, we need to disentangle the science from the politics. he legalization of cannabis is marching ever onwards, with Canada the latest country to join the “green rush,” and several more US states slated Tto embrace the leaf. The debate on legalization stirs strong emotions, and positions on both sides are entrenched. The only way to bring clarity? Rigorous, independent science, but the illegal status of cannabis and the polarized nature of discussions have made it hugely challenging for scientists. When it comes to cannabis, it appears to be impossible to entirely separate the politics from the science – after all, lawmakers have a major impact on what research can be conducted – and even how the results are interpreted. We know that cannabis carries very little risk of immediate toxicity, but there remains surprisingly little definitive evidence on the longer-term positive or negative health effects of the drug. A 400-page report from the US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine reviewed 10,000 papers and found “conclusive or substantial evidence that cannabis or cannabinoids are effective” for only three medical conditions – chronic pain, nausea after chemotherapy and symptoms of multiple sclerosis. In terms of risk, “substantial evidence” was found in only four areas – worsening existing respiratory problems, development of psychosis, low birth weight in babies, and an increase in motor vehicle accidents. Beyond that, the evidence is “moderate” at best, and nonexistent for many purported benefits or harms. The lack of hard facts has left a vacuum to be filled with misinformation, both positive and negative – from 1930s “Reefer Madness” propaganda to today’s less-than scrupulous online retailers claiming that cannabis oil is a literal panacea. As more territories legalize the drug, the number of studies appears to be rising – a PubMed search returns twice as many journal articles mentioning cannabis in 2017 compared with 2007 – but the number still lags far behind studies on common pharmaceutical drugs and alcohol (the most widely available recreational drug in the world). Given that millions of people are now free to access cannabis medically or recreationally, we need more information. If we can disentangle the science from the politics, we can empower researchers with the freedom and funding to conduct major studies that fill the significant knowledge gap. As Raphael Mechoulam says on page 26, “We need data. We cannot work as though we are in the eighteenth century. Ultimately, it is governments that have the power to change things.” Charlotte Barker Editor www.theanalyticalscientist.com 6 Upfront Upfront Reporting on research, personalities, policies and partnerships that are shaping cannabis science. We welcome information on interesting collaborations or research that has really caught your eye, in a good or bad way. Email: charlotte.barker @texerepublishing.com Take the advice and expertise, without having to budget for costly in-house infrastructure High Road or recruit PhD-level scientists (a particular challenge for growers in Canadian company Molecular remote rural locations). Science Corp has assembled We have launched a scientific a team of top equipment partnership with Canopy Growth vendors to fit out the world’s Corporation, the largest marijuana first mobile testing lab producer in Canada with 11 facilities, to for cannabis. We speak to help them improve their risk management Brigitte Simons, VP of Labs & and optimize product development. Strategic Operations, to find out more. How close is it to the capabilities of a fixed lab? Why develop a mobile lab? In some ways, it offers more versatility As the Canadian regulatory framework than a typical cannabis lot-release testing for legalized cannabis takes effect this lab, designed for uninterruptable routine. fall, well characterized products and Our mobile lab is a holistic service – we quality control are key to meeting can do metabolite screening, assist in the requirements for retail. Mobile research and development for natural laboratory services provide customers products, measure contaminants, and instant access to in-process data, so look at multiple inputs into the cultivation that they can optimize quality assurance supply chain. Furthermore, if a problem programs tracking cultivation yields, comes up that we can’t solve in the field, safety, and accurate product labelling. we can ship samples to our fully equipped It allows customers to access scientific lab in Toronto for a deeper analysis. the Analytical Scientist Upfront 7 mass spectrometry can happen so it’s vital from a consumer safety point of view that the gas generators stay operational. but a tough challenge for the industry’s product pipelines. The regulators have set What is the biggest challenge of the bar, and it’s now up to service labs like going mobile? ours to figure out how we can help our Is this the only lab of its kind? Without a doubt, maintaining security partners to meet and improve upon those This is the only mobile lab able to carry procedures in accordance with our licence standards as more cannabis products hit out risk assessment in line with Health to possess cannabis products for lab testing the market. Canada’s stringent requirements for and research. Even though the lab doesn’t product lot-release testing. Mobile labs actually carry or store marijuana, we have have existed in other industries such to be very security conscious to protect our as environmental water testing and clients from infringing within licensed Perfect Partners geological mining, but our lab has features zones and work responsibly to ensure specific for cannabis compliance, to allow sample traceability. Confidentiality The mobile lab has been developed proper record keeping for agriculture and data protection are the other major to a high specification and includes materials with narcotics handling. concerns for our customers, and we equipment from: have systems in place to make sure that What is the role of equipment vendors? data integrity and security matches the • SCIEX – mass spectrometry Establishing technology partnerships information management of our physical • Peak Scientific – gas generators with the different suppliers has been a lab in Toronto. • Hamilton Robotics very positive experience. Working in – sample handling a mobile environment is very different What’s your take on the regulatory • Phenomenex – LC columns to a fixed lab, and we have received testing situation in Canada? • VWR – lab supplies exceptional engineering support from Canadian government agencies have • PerkinElmer – FT-NIR Quasar Instruments (Colorado, USA) some of best labs in the world when it spectroscopy and our additional partners to make comes to pest control management and • Restek – consumables technology implementation robust and environmental toxicity in consumer • SPEX SamplePrep worry-free. For example, Peak Scientific goods, which puts Canadian regulators in – sample grinding (Scotland, UK) have been tremendously a strong position. The required pesticide • Sigma – consumables helpful in providing extra parts and reporting limits in Canada will be • Twister Trimmer support – without high-grade lab gas, no stricter than in the US, which is great – trimming equipment www.theanalyticalscientist.com 8 Upfront British children with can be used in research. Yes We epilepsy forced to Following the home discontinue the secretary’s decision, Can(nabis)! cannabis oil that cannabis-derived their parents medical products The UK government has given claim is vital in will fall under a green light for cannabis- managing their Schedule 2, derived drug prescriptions condition. Last and so will year, Billy be available Facing increasing public pressure on Caldwell, a through medicinal cannabis, the UK government 12-year-old prescription on a recently announced that doctors will be with severe case-by-case basis. able to prescribe cannabis to patients with epilepsy,