“Our primary mission at New Bloom Labs is to provide ethical analytical reporting that promotes consumer safety and reduced legal concern in the novel cannabis industry. We support the creation of higher standards of laboratory accountability that would promote these goals across all sectors of the industry, and up and down the cannabis supply chain.”
The problems with Delta 8 THC testing
Delta 8 has proven to be incredibly popular over the last couple of years because, through a legal loophole, it offers you the chance to enjoy some of the benefits of regular delta 9 THC, even if cannabis isn’t legal in your state.
New Bloom Labs is one the top cannabis testing laboratories in the US. They understand the need for higher testing standards to make novel cannabinoids, like delta 8, safer for you and me to enjoy.
The video above explains a bit more about the problems that can be encountered when testing the potency of delta 8 products, in an effort to educate people about the inaccuracies that can often exist in lab reports.
It’s in all of our best interests to demand more accurate delta 8 lab reports, as not only will this result in more high-quality products on the market, but also the more “hot” products that reach the market, the more likely that delta 8 will be banned in even more places.
I got the chance to talk to the co-founder and CEO of New Bloom Labs, John Kerns, to find out more.
Interview with John Kerns of New Bloom Labs
We really appreciated the video you produced recently on the importance of accurate delta 8 THC testing. Can you tell our readers why delta 8 potency testing is such a hot topic in the industry right now?
Delta-8 THC testing has become downright controversial since mass-produced Delta-8 emerged in early 2020. Many labs that test Delta-8 THC material struggle to accurately calculate the concentrations of Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC. When this is the case, the trend seems to be to under-report the concentration of Delta-9 THC, or ignore evidence of its presence altogether. The end result is that there are countless inaccurate lab reports in the industry currently, and this keeps consumers in the dark about what’s in these products.
And why should this concern the average delta 8 THC consumer?
Because Delta-9 THC remains a federally scheduled substance according to the Controlled Substances Act. Therefore, customers may be in possession of and ingesting an illegal substance and not know it.
What can consumers do to make sure they’re buying legal delta 8 products?
I would recommend being very careful about buying vape pens or cartridges containing Delta-8 THC. These products commonly contain illegal amounts of Delta-9 THC.
Delta 8 is naturally occurring in the hemp plant in only very small amounts, so the delta 8 that is offered for sale is almost exclusively produced in a lab. What extra testing does New Bloom Labs recommend to manufacturers to ensure that these products are as safe as possible for consumers?
Every hemp and cannabis-derived product on the market should undergo a full panel of safety tests, including screens for pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, toxic microbials, and residual solvents.
How can consumers tell if these tests are being carried out? (and what should they look for on a third party lab report?)
All products should have a QR code on the label that points to a Certificate of Analysis that reports a full panel of safety and quality tests. If a product doesn’t have a QR code, or if the lab test is incomplete, I would recommend staying away from that product and brand.
What advice would you give to customers that are concerned about the safety of delta 8 products?
Study the lab reports that should accompany these products. Get acquainted with the terminology and the analyses that are reported. It’s easy to interpret reports once you understand the jargon.
There seems to be a new kind of THC product appearing every few months, how are you able to keep up with changes needed in testing requirements for each one?
We are constantly monitoring hemp and cannabis markets. It’s a daily endeavor. As these materials emerge, we monitor them internally so that we can collect controlled internal data as well as external unknown analysis data in order to understand their chemistry. This allows us to properly validate the compounds on various levels so we publish only the most accurate analytics.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
To be clear, there are lots of high quality, legally compliant Delta-8 THC products on the market! But I urge everyone to be very deliberate about how you select these products.
Finally, prohibition of Delta-8 THC is not the answer from a policy perspective. Instead, policy makers should focus on regulating the cannabis laboratory industry, and making sure all of these companies are operating to the highest scientific and ethical standards.
Ending cannabis prohibition everywhere would be the fastest and best way to legitimize and improve the sophistication of the industry as a whole.
Amen to that John! I appreciate you looking out for us by highlighting these consumer safety issues and thank you very much for your time.
If you need help finding a high quality delta-8 THC product, whether you’re looking for health benefits or psychoactive effects, I can help! If you follow this link (Vance Global review), you’ll see my full review of the brand’s CBD and delta 8 cigarettes, but the company also offers high quality delta 8 gummies and all their products have full panel lab test reports. They also offer other minor cannabinoid products, including THC-O.