LAB TESTED MEDICAL MARIJUANA - A USERS GUIDE - PART 1
05/24/2016
"Basic Medical Marijuana testing should ALWAYS include; THC, CBD, mold and residual pesticides - by an ISO certified lab." - Medical Staff
To treat a disease or condition optimally with any medicine, doctors and patients alike should know as accurately as possible - what's in it. While many pharmaceutical drugs are in fact more toxic that trace amounts of common pesticides, the fact remains - you definitely don't want to be smoking weed with any chemicals in it, period.
”As of September 25, Washington authorities conducted 651 premises checks on 252 out of the state’s 668 licensed growers. Of those, six were found to be violating the state’s pesticide laws by using spinosad, a relatively innocuous insecticide." - The Stranger
Why Doctors and Patients Should Demand a Marijuana Test Certificate of Analysis
Did you check your toke before you smoke? Most medical doctors are not comfortable recommending Medical Marijuana because they don't know what's in it. While synthetic Cannabinoid forms of THC and CBD are quite effective, generally patients find better effect from ingesting 100% organic herb. Scientific studies and clinical findings also support the case that organic weed works better overall. While the various interrelationships and interaction between the different ingredients are not exactly known, Iit is now common knowledge that THC and CBD work together in synergy, while terpene components (which account for the fruity, minty bouquet) can increase Cannabinoid potency and have significant medicinal properties in their own right.
“Each patient's genetics, environment and situation is different. Each offers a unique clinical challenge. A Cannabinoid profile (test) especially for THC and CBD go a long way to understanding how to best medicate with Medical Cannabis.” - Medical Staff
What are the Active Ingredients?
Different strains of Marijuana afford vastly different quantities of active ingredients which include;
“We have an incubated environment we’re allowed to operate in right now, If we keep opening up opportunities for people to use dangerous things on plants, it becomes an embarrassment and we invite more scrutiny from the federal government. It would be a huge step backward.” - Derek Peterson, Terra Tech
Doctors and patients alike should demand that Medicinal Marijuana is pesticide and herbicide free. In the pharmaceutical drug manufacture business, impurities are always a major concern. The drug industry does a lot of testing to show precisely what is in their products. The problem is, that after all the testing and clinical trials, the resultant legalized drug can be relatively ineffective and have serious side effects.
On the other hand, a herb like Marijuana has a vast, ever changing biochemical makeup. Even though there is little regulation, patients on the whole find that the average pot is quite effective - and there are few reported incidences of poisoning. Organic, home-grown self-regulation is possible - if the people in the industry with acumen and repute continually stress the superior benefits that high-quality Cannabis brings.
THC is the psychoactive ingredient that many recreational users crave. Side effects of Medical Marijuana are generally more of a nuisance than harmful. On the other side of the coin, THC can contribute side effects of temporary anxiety and paranoia - depending on the individual and dose.
THC works to modulate receptors that control many body and brain functions. Patients that medicate with strains high in THC describe feelings to be relaxing, inspiring, euphoric, chilling and uplifting. While this is all well and good, hyper-responders to THC can be over-medicated even with even one puff of an ultra-high strain. Strains high in CBD and low in THC however, are generally accepted and enjoyed by THC hyper responders and "veterans" alike.
Why Cannabinoid Profiles are Essential
What is a Cannabinoid Profile? This is a test that quantifies the amount of various Cannabinoids, the main active medicinal ingredients in Marijuana. Testing for the main Cannabinoids THC and CBD are essential to understand the basic nature of your medicine. THC and CBD work together to modulate receptors that control emotion, mood, immune function, nervous system activities and more. Current research indicates that most patients respond and better enjoy strains balanced in THC and CBD content. People that do not like Weed's psychoactive effects benefit from new specially bred varieties that are high in CBD with minimal THC.
" Proponents of medical Cannabis, especially traditional hashish users, claim that the additional benefits of herbal preparations are a result, at least in part, of the presence of other cannabinoids such as CBD. Because THC (with traces of CBD) is the prominent cannabinoid found in most domestically produced North American and European marijuana and hashish, how will medical users gain legitimate legal access to other potentially effective cannabinoids?" - Dr. Watson & Clark
Why a Pesticide Test Should be a No-brainer
It is strongly recommended that growers supply a certificate of analysis that includes a test for residual pesticides. The reality is that testing for the hundreds of possible pesticide out there in use - is a costly and expensive affair. However, there are practical solutions.
Responsible growers know what pesticides they can legally use. So lab testing for a few pesticides is not that expensive of a deal to self monitor using in house testing. A general pesticide screen is a practical way to check for the most commonly used pesticides and this is the offered solution. See part 2 to learn more about Pesticide testing of Medical Marijuana.
Microbiological Testing
"Mycotoxins, aerobic, coliform, enterobacterial, yeast and mold, and mycotoxins are standard micro-test parameters for Medical Cannabis." - Medical Staff
Microbiological testing will prove if a grower has got their act together. You don't want to be smoking moldy weed. It's an ignorant and dangerous thing to do. There are cheap and quick lab tests to test for mold, yeast and fungus and should definitely be included in routine testing of Medicinal Weed. There is always a little bit of mold, bacteria or yeast in pretty much anything organic. Small amounts are not the issue, however large unnatural amounts of pathogens are of real concern. Hemp,- if grown and processed in the wrong environment - is particularly susceptible to infection by an assortment of microbes; especially mold and certain strains of bacteria. Almost always, moisture is the main culprit. Good growers know how to keep moisture and mold under control.
Other Testing
Other testing includes a wealth of nutritional components, amino acids, essential fatty acids, flavonoids, phyto phenols, sterols all miraculously abundant in the cannabis plant. While this is a very interesting, useful and exciting area for many Cannabis scientists, given the cost of testing, we don't recommend these nutritionally important items be routinely tested (for Medical purposes).
You want an ISO certified lab to validate the potency and purity of your Marijuana Medicine competently. ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization for testing worldwide. ISO 17025 standard section sets the rules for preparation, testing, quality control and reporting among other issues.
MMJDOCTORONLINE NOTES: If you want to buy quality medical pot that has been thoroughly tested, you will need a Recommendation from a licensed doctor. We can help. Learn more about our affordable online MMJ services here.
