High-er Education

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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