(26 Aug 2019) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus122547
How much marijuana is really in that pot brownie? Chocolate can throw off potency tests so labels aren't always accurate, and now scientists are trying to figure out why.
In states where marijuana is legal, pot comes in cookies, mints, gummies, protein bars, even pretzels.
These commercial products are labeled with the amount of THC, the chemical that gets people high. That helps medical marijuana patients get the desired dose and other consumers attune their buzz.
But something about chocolate, chemists say, seems to interfere with potency testing. A chocolate labeled as 10 milligrams of THC could have far more and send someone to the emergency room with hallucinations.
The latest research on chocolate, to be presented at at the American Chemical Society meeting in San Diego, is one example of chemistry's growing role in the marijuana industry.
Besides chocolate's quirks, chemists are working on extending shelf life, mimicking marijuana's earthy aroma and making products safer.
The marijuana business is at a crossroads in its push for legitimacy. The federal government still considers marijuana illegal, yet more than 30 U.S. states allow it for at least medical use.
Even in those states, there are no recognized standard methods for testing products for safety and quality.
Chemists working for marijuana companies and testing labs are developing those standards and some are legally protecting their ideas.
Marijuana contains hundreds of chemicals, including cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, a trendy ingredient with unproven health claims. Some pose challenges when they're processed. Chocolate is a good example.
"The presence of chocolate in the vial can interfere with our ability to accurately test the amount of THC in that product," said David Dawson, chemist and lead researcher at CW Analytical Laboratories in Oakland, California, which tests marijuana products.
The more chocolate in the vial, the less accurate the test results, he found. He thinks some of the THC is clinging to the fat in chocolate, effectively hiding from the test.
To do his work with chocolate, Dawson grinds a THC-infused chocolate bar in a commercial food processor, weighs samples, adds solvent to the material, before measuring the THC potency.
He's tested cocoa powder, baking chocolate and white chocolate to try to determine what ingredients are hiding the THC during testing.
Dawson hopes his research will help lead to better testing standards and safer products.
"This science is important to establish the scientific legitimacy of the cannabis industry in its nascent days," Dawson said.
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