The owner of a cannabis testing lab talks about the amount of pesticides and contaminates in black market cannabis The Covid-19 scare is prompting people to move away from the black market cannabis. Josh Swider from Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs talks to Dan Humiston about the stringent testing that cannabis must pass before being approved for consumption and why legal cannabis is much safer than black market cannabis. He also discusses why it's a bad idea to add Covid-19 testing to cannabis testing facilities. Produced by PodCONX
The owner of a cannabis testing lab talks about the amount of pesticides and contaminates in black market cannabis
The Covid-19 scare is prompting people to move away from the black market cannabis. Josh Swider from Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs talks to Dan Humiston about the stringent testing that cannabis must pass before being approved for consumption and why legal cannabis is much safer than black market cannabis. He also discusses why it's a bad idea to add Covid-19 testing to cannabis testing facilities.
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Josh Swider: [00:01:07] We get product then from like a mother concerned finding of a partner during that make pets out of the best buys. We found 60 pesticides and all 20 parts per million, so they're 200 times the legal limit of all.
Josh Swider: [00:01:19] So this is what people are consuming when you're doing the listed market and it's quite scary. The biggest contamination, I would say, is pesticides.
Dan Humiston: [00:01:31] From MJBulls Media, it's the Raising Cannabis Capital show. I'm Dan Humiston. And today's show is a special, optimistic Cannabis and Korona report about Cannabis opportunities during the global Corbitt 19 crisis.
Dan Humiston: [00:01:59] Today, Cannabis in Corona, we have another Cannabis entrepreneur whose company is adjusting through the core of it, 19 crisis. Josh Tweeter, the CEO of Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs. Josh, thanks for being on the show today.
Josh Swider: [00:02:13] Yeah, thanks for having me.
Dan Humiston: [00:02:14] Well, I appreciate taking time out to speak with us. You co-founded Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs in 2016 and you're in San Diego and now you're also in Jackson, Michigan. Yeah, that's correct.
Dan Humiston: [00:02:28] A real success story I was reading on your Web site. Did you feel like over 30 highly trained scientists with, like, big degrees, like Europea HD and there's everybody in your company is bachelor degree or higher? I mean, this is the real deal. These are real serious people. And I think it's probably because the state see operating in our real serious about testing, the state of California has the most comprehensive requirements in the country. Bring us up to speed. What type of tests does the state require and why are these so important?
Josh Swider: [00:03:03] Yeah, sure.
Josh Swider: [00:03:04] That having a chemical analysis, we do have quite a big staff of anything from chemists to biologists to pieces to master. It comes about because it's such a comprehensive list that we have to start with the basic. And this is important even in the industry as you start with something like potency. Why do people need no potency or accurately when you go into the medical field dosing a child with a Cannabis product? The precision needed and that analysis is very high. That's something you'd want to see. My chemical lab people see this as an easy subject for a this. Well, we think that such diversity in the industry so that it can be very problematic. The biggest point on that is let's make sure we're doing potency right for the dosing, anyone that's really using this for a medical purpose. So next thing we really test for is pesticide analysis. And that's what California has, the most stringent pesticide analysis in the state. We test for 66 of pesticides as well as mycotoxins. There's two different lists of these. We have a Category one, less meaning there. There's no detection of pesticides. That becomes very difficult when we talk about that, not the type of variation within the lab, but these things are seen as No. One, no human to consumers and more. Some of these have been banned since the 70s. And the thing is, with the residual pesticides, the whole of making a pesticide free agricultural product isn't a laugh out there. They want them in the lab. That'll kill the bugs. The thing is, then it's going to potentially be on the crop when don't lose and move. The candidates feel that, you know, two, five years later and you can see the evidence lasting for a long time. Oh, well, then the alcohol category two, what they've made some, I guess, where you showed the consumer the good thing about this and the right thing to be had to do and put together a list of pesticides that are no longer consumed with any pesticides or public eating it.
Josh Swider: [00:04:53] Elliot, what happens when you go ahead and fight on fire and smoke it the nerve and resist FDA poking and apple? It's always eating an apple. They put a lot of big list together to keep the consumer safe. The next thing we test for. We test for residual solvent. So any kind of process Cannabis get there. There's no make some kind of extraction done. This could be as simple as using ethanol to extract THC to make a concentrator. Something goes in a basement and there's a profit a manufacturer would do to remove residual solvent. So we do check on the back and forth. These things like residual solvent. We also test for heavy metals. We do microbial analysis. So the state of California listed out some pathogenic microbial. They don't want to see on the Cannabis. And that's only what we see on food like salmonella. Recall why we see those outbreaks on lettuce all the time or where the background always checking all the Cannabis parts, even every animal or something someone's going to eat to make sure they don't have that.
Dan Humiston: [00:05:46] You know, to in your freaking me out like there there's so many things. And I'm sure you know somebody who's seen almost every contaminant. What would you say to somebody who's trying to save a few bucks, buying Cannabis on the illicit market?
Josh Swider: [00:06:01] We get product in from like a mother concerned finding of a pet or we'll see. Out of sixty six pesticides that have an action level. We found 60 pesticides and they're all 20 parts per million.
Josh Swider: [00:06:12] So they're two times the legal limit of all. So this is what people are consuming when you're consuming the listed market. And this is literally how you're going to get problem later in life. You're going to be developing cancer and you're never going to find out why. This could be a good picture of why this happening. You're consuming something that we know is not going to consume. So the less a market we've had, it's quite scary. The biggest contamination, I would say, is pesticides.
Dan Humiston: [00:06:35] Oh, man. Because they're trying to save a few dollars, get the product to market as quickly as possible and they don't care what they put into it. It's scary. That is scary. Recently you mentioned that you saw an influx, though, in testing, not inhalable products. Do you think this is anything to do with KHURVIN 19?
Josh Swider: [00:06:54] Yes, there are a lot of back stock on distribution cells with a certain. And we've seen the biggest influx is edibles right now. We do a lot of edibles in this lab and a lot of produce products. But we've seen a lot of major manufacturers that we talk with. They're running out of their cookies and their brownies or they're gummy. Very quickly.
Dan Humiston: [00:07:13] Yeah, that's true. That's true. It's a it's one of those unintended consequences that not inhale. Well, markets surging right now. That's crazy. You know, I've also heard that some states are asking Cannabis Labs to convert to Corvin. Nineteen labs. Is this a good idea?
Josh Swider: [00:07:32] That's very scary. I have not been asked by the state. There's been groups in various states and there are several pocking about getting some waivers done for BSL two and clear requirements, which to me is when you starting to waive clinical lab requirements as a major problem, you can easily create a hot spot within a lab. And I asked him just to convert to that. They're asking to add that, I think to that they're not sitting on the candidate side and keeping it going. So so it's been a little scary by hearing all this. Just converting. It's not that easy. I don't think there should ever be a waiver done for a public safety matter, a public safety lab. That's why we're here. We should be we are requirements become one.
Dan Humiston: [00:08:11] Yeah, I think that's a really good point. I know everyone's just trying to find a quick fix for this and looking for whatever options are, but I don't know that that makes sense either. I can agree with you on that one.
Dan Humiston: [00:08:26] Let's take a short break to let you listen to a quick preview of our next episode.
Noah Miller: [00:08:31] Yes, we are. We're just launching it right now. And we did have one previous awhile back. But now we're at a point we're looking at getting ready to launch X product line with what's going to COGAT and everything. And it's a good strategic time for us to step back. Sure. If the things we want and be prepared, because that's kind of what I feel like. The movie Better is covered, is really forward looking and saying, OK, we've got this time, let's use this to our advantage. And that's really what we're trying to do here. So we're just starting that raise right now.
Dan Humiston: [00:08:56] Tune in on Sunday to hear Noah Miller from Black Dog LCD. Now let's get back to today's show.
Dan Humiston: [00:09:05] Well, we mentioned at the beginning of the show that you have a location in San Diego and you're also in Jackson, Michigan. I know it's tough to make plans under this, the shadow of Corona, but do you have any plans for a future expansion once we get back to work?
Josh Swider: [00:09:20] Yeah. So originally right before this happened, we were going to be going into the next state. We're looking at Arizona, the possibility and a few other states around here. But we are we are expanding are our goals in the next five years have 10, 20 labs open.
Dan Humiston: [00:09:34] Nice. Nice. Will you be raising any. Well, we be raising money.
Josh Swider: [00:09:38] No, we we're self-funded currently. So fund this facility and me and other co-owner and that's about it.
Dan Humiston: [00:09:45] I give you a lot of credit because it's sometimes it's special. A couple of years ago, so tempting for people to take in injections of capital. But, you know, sometimes it works great. But you're right. Sometimes, especially when things get a little sticky. Things don't work as well.
Josh Swider: [00:09:59] Yeah. So we we've always looked at growing organically and growing the correct way and not like just pushing and rushing. And I oh, I'm an open five lab and I don't know, five lab directors to run them. The biggest thing is to find people that do want to be. It's not as easy as you think. Have you talked about the beginning? We have so many specialized scientists and they're not all just available.
Josh Swider: [00:10:19] I mean, back in 2016, it was seen in the science community and was throwing away your degree by going into this industry. And now it's changed a lot in the state of California. But when you move across the country that you still kind of seen by a lot of people, not every state is a good step in the Cannabis of California.
Dan Humiston: [00:10:38] I bet you had an interesting conversation with your parents when you finish your day and say, I guess what I'm doing. That's that's good.
Josh Swider: [00:10:46] They're supportive with what I'm doing is I'm a public safety laboratory. And I mean, I think keeping people safe is why the whole reason I went to grad school here. Any of us was to do things like this or to provide the science to the people that need it. Well, and that's why that's our. We're here as a bridge.
Dan Humiston: [00:11:01] Well, I'm glad you're here and I appreciate you doing this, the work that you do.
Dan Humiston: [00:11:05] And I'll have all of your information, all of Josh, his information, an infinite chemical analysis information will be in the show notes. And they're also have the information on the MJBulls Web site.
Dan Humiston: [00:11:16] Josh, thanks for being on the show today.
Josh Swider: [00:11:19] Definitely. I appreciate you having me.
Dan Humiston: [00:11:21] Well, keep it up and we'll have you back on again.
Josh Swider: [00:11:24] Definitely. Looking forward to.
Dan Humiston: [00:11:28] Today's show was made possible by the generous support of our sponsors, like all 36. The country's premiere block chain payment processing platform that's providing dispensaries and its customers with a safe and secure payment option other than cash. To learn more, go to ULP 36 dot com. Today's podcast was produced by MJ Bles Media. The industry's premier Cannabis podcast network with original music produced in part by Jamie Humiston. I'm Dan Humiston and you've been listening to the Raising Cannabis Capital podcast.
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