What You Need to Know About Aspergillus
Our recent post about microbiology testing touched on the prevalence of aspergillus and its potential impact on growers in light of the new cannabis testing requirements in Oregon. Let’s get into some additional detail on this widespread organism, and point you toward some extra resources on the topic. What is aspergillus? Aspergillus refers to a group of hundreds of fungi species found in...Read More
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Adapting to Change: Microbiology Testing
Have you heard about the new microbiology tests for cannabis in Oregon? Of course you have! Everyone has, and everyone is talking about it, because the early results have been a surprise to say the least, so it’s become a core focus for labs and farms alike. The success and stability of the cannabis community depends on our collaboration through this new phase of testing. Let’s get into some...Read More
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Shelf Testing: 9 More Strains
With three shelf tests completed, with anywhere from 8 to 11 strains re-tested, the through line continues to be variance. This is not unique to our industry. Variance exists in the pharmaceutical, food, environmental and energy industries – even with rigorous testing and regulatory requirements in place. As in our industry, different testing methods, equipment, and analytical techniques can...Read More
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Meet Bob Vingelen
Meet Bob Vingelen, a valued member of our business development, sales, and field team at Pree. He joined our ranks in October of 2018, shortly after we opened our doors for business. Bob has always been passionate about growing plants of all types. He graduated from OSU in 2004 with a bachelor of science degree in horticulture, and prior to joining Pree, he was the head gardener at Corvallis...Read More
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Analytical Variance: The Lab
It’s not unique to cannabis — analytical variance is the name of the game across labs of all kinds, from pharmaceuticals to animal feed. Since this is such an important aspect of lab testing, we’re diving deeper into the topic… First of all, what do we mean when we say analytical variance? Analytical variance is the variation in results when testing cannabis samples. It acknowledges the...Read More
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Analytical Variance: The Farm
In our Shelf Testing series, we re-test strains from local dispensaries. Variance is the recurring theme, because of the inherent variability in the plant and the final product. As we’ve discussed, there are several contributing factors. In the first of this two-part series, Patrick Ray – one of our Pree field reps and former grower – helps us understand some of the implications on the farm...Read More
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Adapting to Change: Heavy Metals Testing
You’re already aware of the regulation change — as of this month, all cannabis in Oregon is required to pass heavy metals testing. The complete rules under the Public Health Division can be found here, and as stipulated in OAR 333-007-0415, the heavy metals standards and action limits are as follows (ug/g = micrograms per gram): Arsenic — 0.2 ug/g Cadmium — 0.2 ug/g Lead — 0.5 ug/g Mercury —...Read More
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Meet Tara Taylor
Meet Tara Taylor, Pree regional manager serving our clients in the greater Portland area. Tara joined our team in 2021, and her diverse background has enabled her to thrive in the dynamic and ever-evolving cannabis industry. Her role allows her to connect directly with growers and ensure quality products are in the market. She says, “I love working at Pree because the relationships I have with...Read More
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Meet Patrick Ray
Meet Patrick Ray, one of our awesome field representatives at Pree since 2022. In addition to his time on the lab side of the cannabis industry, he’s also had experience running an indoor grow operation. Before that, Patrick was in the hospitality space, where he put in 11 years of hotel management for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. What Patrick likes about working in the cannabis industry is that...Read More
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Shelf Testing 11 strains from 10 labs including Pree
It’s time for another round of shelf testing! We have 11 new strains right out of dispensaries here in Oregon, and each was approved for retail sale after testing by one of ten different cannabis labs. The kicker is that this time we included a strain that was originally tested right here at Pree! We’re taking a bit of our own medicine to see how the Pree-tested flower fared after a few months...Read More
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What is Homogenization?
First, what exactly is homogenization? In the context of cannabis, it’s the process of thoroughly breaking down and mixing flower to create a uniform blend. As the sample is then divided into smaller units for testing, each portion represents the aggregate of the combined product. Why does this matter? As we’ve touched on in other posts, there are many factors that contribute to variance in...Read More
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Attributing variance: Harvest size, sample size, and test size
In a recent blog post, we mentioned a few of the many factors that can contribute to variance in test results and variance between the product tested and the product that ultimately reaches consumers. Among those factors is the size of the harvest, how much we sample from that harvest, and how much actually ends up being processed by our team and equipment in the lab. As our cannabis grower...Read More
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Meet Carson Newkirk
Meet Carson Newkirk, our beloved Lab Manager at PREE since joining our team in 2019. When things at the lab are running smoothly and our team is in good shape, we have Carson to thank for her excellent management and care for every individual. What interests her most about cannabis is everything that goes into testing to make sure it’s safe for human consumption. About working at PREE, Carson...Read More
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Re-testing 8 Strains from Dispensaries
Our team is bringing more flower straight from local dispensaries back to our lab to validate our own precision and accuracy. The eight strains have a wide range of harvest dates, original test dates, and THC percentages, and they came to market by way of seven different testing labs. It’s not so much a matter of whether our results will differ — we know they will to some extent. It’s a matter...Read More
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Meet Dan Hanshaw
Meet Dan Hanshaw, VP of Business Development at PREE Labs since August of 2019. Dan has been a long-time consumer of cannabis and was excited to jump at the opportunity to join the new, growing recreational market here in Oregon. He says, “I love working in the cannabis industry because we have a chance to change the way our country views ‘weed’, especially Oregon cannabis. I get to meet...Read More
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Testing Accuracy and Precision: Durban Poison
At PREE, we’re always looking for ways to stress-test our processes and validate our ability to deliver accurate and precise results (more on the distinction between the two below). So our team decided to stop by a local dispensary to pick up some flower and bring it back to the lab. We selected some Durban Poison, a prevalent strain here in Oregon. It averages a THC concentration around 20%,...Read More
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What is PREE?
In case you haven’t already encountered us through the cannabis community, we’d like to introduce ourselves and share more about our company: Pree Laboratories. Like many in this space, our brand took inspiration from Bob Marley. In Jamaica, the word “pree” means to take a long, deliberate look at something, or to listen carefully. That’s our job as a lab — to look and listen with focus and...Read More
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To Our Friends and Peers in the Oregon Cannabis Industry:
In August of last year, an anonymous flier circulated our industry, titled “Warning! Stop Cheater Labs in Oregon!” Our team at Pree would like to address this. Simply put, the claims made against Pree and other labs were baseless and demonstrably false. Why are we refuting this now? Since its release, the message has had a profound impact on the lives of our team members, the producers we...Read More
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