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COWEN
COLLABORATIVE INSIGHTS February 25, 2019
_ Life Science Tools Participation In The Legal Cannabis Market (Schenkel)
Life science tools companies currently participate in the cannabis market primarily
through providing instruments and equipment that: (1) extract active cannabis
ingredients from leaves and seeds and (2) analyze cannabis products for potency and
contaminants. According to one of our consultants who runs a cannabis testing
laboratory, separations instrumentation including liquid chromatography (LC) and gas
chromatography (GC), and mass spectrometry (primarily single quadrupoles, triple
quadrupoles, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers) are the primary
technologies used in cannabis testing. We note that the cannabis testing opportunity is
not limited to LC, GC, and mass spec technologies - other technologies including genetic
analysis tools (DNA sequencers, microarrays, and PCR) could have a greater role in the
cannabis industry in the future.
Cannabis Testing Details
There are three major categories of tests used to measure and monitor the quality of
recreational and medicinal cannabis products: potency testing, terpene profiling, and
contaminant testing. Contaminant testing typically includes testing for the following: (1)
pesticides; (2) residual solvents; (3) heavy metals; (4) moisture content; (5) mycotoxins;
and (6) microorganisms.
For the most part, standards and regulations for cannabis potency and contaminants
testing are still in the infancy stage and vary widely by state - accordingly, testing of
cannabis products vary greatly by locality. The aforementioned tests (also in Figure 13)
are the most commonly performed tests. These tests are primarily performed using
separations instruments and mass spectrometry (see pages 22-23 for details on these
instruments and a list of vendors). Figure 13 lists commonly used instruments
associated with a specific cannabis test.
Figure 13 Overview Of Cannabis Testing Technologies
Test Common Analytical Instrument(s}
Used
Potency LC (HPLC or UHPLC), GC
Terpene Profile GC-MS, LC-UV detector
Pesticides LC-MS (triple quad), GC-MS (single or
triple quad)
Residual Solvents GC-MS
Heavy Metals ICP-MS
Moisture Content Moisture balances, weight loss
methods
Mycotoxins LC-MS (triple quad) or
immunoassays
Microorganisms Mostly culturing, some PCR, few
MALDI-TOF
Actives Extraction Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE)
Source: The Analytical Scientist and Cowen and Company
22 COWEN.COM
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