Collaborative Study Examines the Contribution of Reference Standards to “Potency Inflation”

Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) are the analytical foundation for safety and quality data for the wide variety of cannabis products sold throughout the world today. Cannabis industry experts are observing inconsistencies between labeled and measured concentrations of cannabinoids, commonly referred to as “potency inflation”. These variations stand to challenge the credibility of an industry still striving to gain consumer trust and relevance to stakeholders. While there can be many sources within the analytical laboratory for these variations, some have surmised that inconsistencies among CRMs are responsible.
The Cannabis Working Group (CWG) of American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL) undertook a collaborative volunteer research study to determine the variability and comparability of cannabinoid CRMs for use in calibrating instruments for cannabis testing. The overarching goal of this research study was to determine, among five accredited independent testing laboratories, the variance of THC and THCA containing CRM products from five reference standard manufacturers.
This presentation will focus on displaying observed variability of CRM production lots and manufacturers among a variety of acidic and decarboxylated THC CRMs. The five labs evaluated a total of 21 unique reference standard products including both single and multi-component mixes. Study design, logistics and results will be presented by the authors along with conclusions regarding the observed variability among CRMs examined.