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Now that the tasks, equipment, and workflow of [[cannabis]] testing have been addressed, we can finally venture forth to discuss why and how data management software and [[Laboratory|laboratories]] make for a good marriage. We've discovered that not only is cannabis testing a highly regulated activity, but the regulations and standards surrounding that activity are scattered and inconsistent due in part to the dichotomy between state and federal approaches to cannabis. However, testing is valuable because it helps us learn more about the plant and its constituents, ensure the safety of products containing them, and improve a state of overall accountability of the cultivators and manufacturers. We've also looked at the analytical aspects of cannabis testing, from what gets tested to how it gets tested. The [[workflow]] of the cannabis testing lab has similarities across all lab types, though there are also many differences due to the [[Matrix (chemical analysis)|substrate/matrix]] being tested, as well as the product's intended use. Those differences introduce additional testing challenges requiring unique workflows, procedures, and equipment. And how the results of all those tests get reported for both the client and the regulatory bodies introduces technical challenges. Despite all this, there are tools to help overcome all these challenges.
[[File:CBP Laboratories and Scientific Services (LSS), Springfield, Virginia - 44708018774.jpg|right|400px]]As seen in the previous chapters, analytical testing of cannabis is not a simple, one-size-fits-all process. Differing analytical matrices with a slightly fragmented but improving regulatory- and standards-based atmosphere, paired with downward pricing pressures and requests for quick turnaround times (TATs), means there are plenty of challenges for cannabis testing laboratories.<ref name="KaulManag20">{{cite web |url=https://www.labmanager.com/business-management/managing-a-cannabis-lab-22822 |title=Managing a Cannabis Lab |author=Kaul, S. |work=Lab Manager |date=03 June 2020 |accessdate=07 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="CannLab20">{{cite web |url=https://www.analyticalcannabis.com/articles/cannalysis-lab-decreases-processing-time-by-94-with-lab-automation-software-312343 |title=Cannalysis Lab Decreases Processing Time by 94% with Lab Automation Software |author=Cannalysis |work=Analytical Cannabis |date=08 April 2020 |accessdate=07 July 2021}}</ref> Workflows differ based upon the analyte being tested for and the substance in which they are contained. The sampling and anlysis of [[inflorescence]] material will look significantly different than sampling and analyzing from a cannabis edible, for example. The samples received in the lab must be tracked at every step, and results must be reported to not only clients but also state regulatory groups, typically in a secure electronic format. Quality control must be maintained, documents stored, and regulations followed. Managing all these and other aspects of the laboratory immersed in an already competitive industry leaves little room for failure. Applying automation in these cases may prove to be most beneficial.


This chapter addresses how a well-crafted [[laboratory informatics]] solution like a [[laboratory information management system]] (LIMS)—particularly one developed with the cannabis testing laboratory in mind—can cut through the challenges of testing cannabis and securely manage all the data associated with the endeavor.
Broadly speaking, adding elements of automation to the cannabis testing lab can help overcome the demand of rapidly analyzing large sample volumes of cannabis products with a wide spectrum of matrices.<ref name="KaulManag20" /><ref name="CannLab20" /><ref name="GoldmanAutom21">{{cite web |url=https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/webinars/automation-in-the-cannabis-hemp-testing-laboratories-of-tomorrow-344293 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119211553/https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/webinars/automation-in-the-cannabis-hemp-testing-laboratories-of-tomorrow-344293 |title=Automation in the Cannabis and Hemp Testing Laboratories of Tomorrow |author=Goldman, S. |work=Technology Networks |date=January 2021 |archivedate=19 January 2021 |accessdate=07 July 2021}}</ref> Those automation elements can take many forms. Analytical lab Cannalysis, for example, has added middleware "that integrates instruments, optimizes workflows and monitors performance to create a cohesive lab ecosystem."<ref name="CannLab20" /> The  Richland County Sheriff's Department Drug Identification Unit has turned to an automated dispersive pipette extraction (DPX) method with an automated liquid handler to speed up discriminate testing of cannabis' ∆<sup>9</sup>‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content.<ref name="HorneFast20">{{cite journal |title=Fast Discrimination of Marijuana using Automated High‐throughput Cannabis Sample Preparation and Analysis by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry |journal=Journal of Forensic Sciences |author=Horne, M.; Mastrianni, K.R.; Amick, G. et al. |volume=65 |issue=5 |pages=1709–15 |year=2020 |doi=10.1111/1556-4029.14525}}</ref> And other laboratories are turning to a LIMS for automating laboratory workflows, sample management, document management, and other aspects of cannabis lab testing.<ref name="MCSImport20">{{cite web |url=https://www.moderncanna.com/cannabis-testing/importance-of-lims-in-hemp-testing-laboratories/ |title=Importance of LIMS in Hemp Testing Laboratories |author=Modern Canna Labs |date=29 September 2020 |accessdate=07 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="ApteTheRole19">{{cite web |url=https://www.labroots.com/webinar/role-lims-achieving-iso-17025-compliance-cannabis-testing-laboratories |title=The Role of LIMS in Achieving ISO 17025 Compliance in Cannabis Testing Laboratories |author=Apte, A. |work=LabRoots |date=27 March 2019 |accessdate=07 July 2021}}</ref>
 
The LIMS has been a useful tool for laboratories since at least the 1980s, aiding with sample reception and management, test management, instrument management, and reporting.<ref name="LIMSHistory">{{cite journal |title=A brief history of LIMS |journal=Laboratory Automation and Information Management |author=Gibbon, G.A. |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=1–5 |year=1996 |doi=10.1016/1381-141X(95)00024-K}}</ref><ref name="McLelland98">{{cite web |url=http://www.rsc.org/pdf/andiv/tech.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004232754/http://www.rsc.org/pdf/andiv/tech.pdf |format=PDF |title=What is a LIMS - a laboratory toy, or a critical IT component? |author=McLelland, A. |publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry |page=1 |date=1998 |archivedate=04 October 2013 |accessdate=07 July 2021}}</ref> Since its humble origins, the software has expanded to include a wide variety of additional functionality to support laboratory operations, as well as the lab's ability to adhere to standards, regulations, and accreditation requirements. The technology behind how they are deployed has even changed, with both on-site and cloud-based installations now available.
 
With so many vendor options, features, and requirements, the selection of a LIMS for cannabis testing can be a bewildering process, requiring significant research and consideration. Not only will you be looking for the above functionality, but you'll also want to ask other important questions. How useable and customizable is the software? Does it have sufficient mechanisms for ensuring the integrity of the data it houses and manages? How well does the vendor maintain the software with updates and patches?<ref name="KyobeSelect17">{{cite journal |title=Selecting a Laboratory Information Management System for Biorepositories in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: The H3Africa Experience and Lessons Learned |journal=Biopreservation and Biobanking |author=Kyobe, S.; Musinguzi, H.; Lwanga, N. et al. |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=112–15 |year=2017 |doi=10.1089/bio.2017.0006}}</ref> These questions and more are required when preparing to add or change the LIMS in your laboratory, including asking the question "how flexible is this LIMS?".
 
==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

Revision as of 17:25, 19 August 2021

CBP Laboratories and Scientific Services (LSS), Springfield, Virginia - 44708018774.jpg

As seen in the previous chapters, analytical testing of cannabis is not a simple, one-size-fits-all process. Differing analytical matrices with a slightly fragmented but improving regulatory- and standards-based atmosphere, paired with downward pricing pressures and requests for quick turnaround times (TATs), means there are plenty of challenges for cannabis testing laboratories.[1][2] Workflows differ based upon the analyte being tested for and the substance in which they are contained. The sampling and anlysis of inflorescence material will look significantly different than sampling and analyzing from a cannabis edible, for example. The samples received in the lab must be tracked at every step, and results must be reported to not only clients but also state regulatory groups, typically in a secure electronic format. Quality control must be maintained, documents stored, and regulations followed. Managing all these and other aspects of the laboratory immersed in an already competitive industry leaves little room for failure. Applying automation in these cases may prove to be most beneficial.

Broadly speaking, adding elements of automation to the cannabis testing lab can help overcome the demand of rapidly analyzing large sample volumes of cannabis products with a wide spectrum of matrices.[1][2][3] Those automation elements can take many forms. Analytical lab Cannalysis, for example, has added middleware "that integrates instruments, optimizes workflows and monitors performance to create a cohesive lab ecosystem."[2] The Richland County Sheriff's Department Drug Identification Unit has turned to an automated dispersive pipette extraction (DPX) method with an automated liquid handler to speed up discriminate testing of cannabis' ∆9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content.[4] And other laboratories are turning to a LIMS for automating laboratory workflows, sample management, document management, and other aspects of cannabis lab testing.[5][6]

The LIMS has been a useful tool for laboratories since at least the 1980s, aiding with sample reception and management, test management, instrument management, and reporting.[7][8] Since its humble origins, the software has expanded to include a wide variety of additional functionality to support laboratory operations, as well as the lab's ability to adhere to standards, regulations, and accreditation requirements. The technology behind how they are deployed has even changed, with both on-site and cloud-based installations now available.

With so many vendor options, features, and requirements, the selection of a LIMS for cannabis testing can be a bewildering process, requiring significant research and consideration. Not only will you be looking for the above functionality, but you'll also want to ask other important questions. How useable and customizable is the software? Does it have sufficient mechanisms for ensuring the integrity of the data it houses and manages? How well does the vendor maintain the software with updates and patches?[9] These questions and more are required when preparing to add or change the LIMS in your laboratory, including asking the question "how flexible is this LIMS?".

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kaul, S. (3 June 2020). "Managing a Cannabis Lab". Lab Manager. https://www.labmanager.com/business-management/managing-a-cannabis-lab-22822. Retrieved 07 July 2021. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cannalysis (8 April 2020). "Cannalysis Lab Decreases Processing Time by 94% with Lab Automation Software". Analytical Cannabis. https://www.analyticalcannabis.com/articles/cannalysis-lab-decreases-processing-time-by-94-with-lab-automation-software-312343. Retrieved 07 July 2021. 
  3. ↑ Goldman, S. (January 2021). "Automation in the Cannabis and Hemp Testing Laboratories of Tomorrow". Technology Networks. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210119211553/https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/webinars/automation-in-the-cannabis-hemp-testing-laboratories-of-tomorrow-344293. Retrieved 07 July 2021. 
  4. ↑ Horne, M.; Mastrianni, K.R.; Amick, G. et al. (2020). "Fast Discrimination of Marijuana using Automated High‐throughput Cannabis Sample Preparation and Analysis by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry". Journal of Forensic Sciences 65 (5): 1709–15. doi:10.1111/1556-4029.14525. 
  5. ↑ Modern Canna Labs (29 September 2020). "Importance of LIMS in Hemp Testing Laboratories". https://www.moderncanna.com/cannabis-testing/importance-of-lims-in-hemp-testing-laboratories/. Retrieved 07 July 2021. 
  6. ↑ Apte, A. (27 March 2019). "The Role of LIMS in Achieving ISO 17025 Compliance in Cannabis Testing Laboratories". LabRoots. https://www.labroots.com/webinar/role-lims-achieving-iso-17025-compliance-cannabis-testing-laboratories. Retrieved 07 July 2021. 
  7. ↑ Gibbon, G.A. (1996). "A brief history of LIMS". Laboratory Automation and Information Management 32 (1): 1–5. doi:10.1016/1381-141X(95)00024-K. 
  8. ↑ McLelland, A. (1998). "What is a LIMS - a laboratory toy, or a critical IT component?" (PDF). Royal Society of Chemistry. p. 1. Archived from the original on 04 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131004232754/http://www.rsc.org/pdf/andiv/tech.pdf. Retrieved 07 July 2021. 
  9. ↑ Kyobe, S.; Musinguzi, H.; Lwanga, N. et al. (2017). "Selecting a Laboratory Information Management System for Biorepositories in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: The H3Africa Experience and Lessons Learned". Biopreservation and Biobanking 15 (2): 112–15. doi:10.1089/bio.2017.0006. 
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