While federal regulations help ensure the consistency and quality of our food and pharmaceuticals, marijuana’s status as a Schedule 1 illegal substance keeps it from the protection and oversight offered to other consumer products. Despite the fact that marijuana is now legal in some form in 23 states (and in our nation’s capitol, the District of Columbia) and is often obtained through a doctor’s prescription, there is little the average person can do to ensure their cannabis is healthy and limited data available about cannabis strains.
Each state is responsible for defining its regulations and requirements surrounding cannabis testing, from the plant to a produced product. But without guidance from federal agencies, what has resulted is a disjointed system that is, despite the best intentions, failing the very people it’s trying to protect.
New Mexico can’t meet the demand for testing laboratories. Colorado has had more than dozen recalls of products contaminated with pesticides in the latter quarter of 2015, despite having testing guidelines in place. What the labs are testing for, how they’re testing and what information is provided to the end patient/consumer is inconsistent at best, and unreliable at worst.
Testing requirements and oversight will undoubtedly improve. But that will take time, and leaves the individual with very limited data about their cannabis. Perhaps it will be labeled as organic, but has that been verified? And while THC levels are often provided, a broader chemical profile rarely is. As we learn more about the effects cannabinoids and terpenes can deliver, people will look for specific strains that can target a feeling or a condition. Where do they turn to find what will work best for them?
Commercial, independent testing is one solution. But aside from its challenges and growing pains, for most it’s simply too expensive, inconvenient and doesn’t provide immediate results. The goal of MyDx is to put the power of a lab into the hands of the people, helping growers and consumers alike directly test and verify the chemical profile of their cannabis.
The MyDx analyzer lets anyone test a sample of cannabis — the result is a Total Canna Profile™ (TCP) with a comprehensive cannabinoid and terpene panel, delivered via the CannaDx app. People can then track how that strain makes them feel or what it helps them relieve and hone in on which strains work best for them.
MyDx will essentially let you customize your cannabis, whether you’re growing it or consuming it. The data and insight provided by MyDx can fuel a new generation of healthy cannabis, tailored to meet targeted Canna Profiles that will produce specific results.
As the number of marijuana growers, dispensaries, products and consumers continues to explode, testing must play an important role in ensuring the quality and efficacy of a given strain. While more regulation and oversight is on the way, control and confidence must rest firmly on the shoulders of the individuals who are striving to produce and consume high-quality, healthy cannabis.
For more information about the MyDx analyzer and the CannaDx cannabis testing platform, take a spin around our website.
