Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 4 september 2019
How much pot in that brownie? Chocolate can throw off tests

arating into unappealing
layers while sitting on the
shelf. The oils don’t dissolve
in water, a problem for
companies trying to create
new drinks.
“We’re fighting against the
true nature of the THC,”
Vialpando, who came to
cannabis from the phar-
maceutical industry.
Chemists solve the problem
by increasing the surface
area of the oil particles and
adding ingredients, called
surfactants and emulsifiers,
to prevent separation.
She said consumers should
be skeptical of outrageous
claims for edibles and bev-
erages, including that all
the THC or CBD in a prod-
uct will be absorbed. Some
potency will always be lost
in the digestive system be-
In this Friday, Aug. 16, 2019, photo, chemist David Dawson displays various samples of marijuana while being interviewed at CW fore it hits the bloodstream,
Analytical Laboratories in Oakland, Calif. she said.
Associated Press But for now, exactly what

By CARLA K. JOHNSON this week, is one example tors have patented ways of Markus Roggen, a Vancou- happens in the human body
AP Medical Writer of chemistry’s growing role putting cannabis into milk, ver, British Columbia-based with most of these products
How much marijuana is re- in the marijuana industry. coffee pods, ice pops and chemist organizing the pro- is unclear, Vialpando said,
ally in that pot brownie? Besides chocolate’s quirks, chewing gum. gram. That’s a big change because there’s been very
Chocolate can throw off chemists are working on “There’s a lot of flash and from a few years ago when little safety testing of can-
potency tests so labels extending shelf life, mim- hipness, snake oil and mar- presenters didn’t get much nabis emulsions in animals,
aren’t always accurate, icking marijuana’s earthy keting. But there’s still a lot beyond the basics such as: much less in humans. In Ot-
and now scientists are try- aroma and making prod- of real chemical advance “This is THC. This is CBD.” tawa, Ontario, a Canadian
ing to figure out why. ucts safer. The marijuana happening,” Capuano Some in the marijuana in- government lab is working
In states where marijuana business is at a crossroads said of the industry. “It’s dustry hold “a mythical be- on a sensor to help police
is legal, pot comes in cook- in its push for legitimacy. right in center field for lief in the goddess of can- identify stoned drivers. The
ies, mints, gummies, protein The federal government still chemists.” nabis,” Roggen said, but goal is to detect canna-
bars — even pretzels. These considers marijuana illegal, Marijuana contains hun- chemists view marijuana binoid molecules in saliva
commercial products are yet more than 30 U.S. states dreds of chemicals, includ- more objectively. For its or breath droplets, using
labeled with the amount allow it for at least medical ing cannabinoids such as part, the industry is learning light and nanoparticles. Still
of high-inducing THC. That use. Even in those states, THC and CBD, a trendy to accept the “new guard years away from roadside
helps medical marijuana there are no recognized ingredient with unproven of scientists with a different use, the technology might
patients get the desired standard methods for test- health claims. Some pose approach to the plant,” he someday also be used by
dose and other consumers ing products for safety and challenges when they’re said. marijuana growers to de-
attune their buzz. quality. processed. Chocolate is a Another focus of research termine the peak time to
But something about choc- Chemists working for mari- good example. is a group of chemicals harvest, said chemist Li-Lin
olate, chemists say, seems juana companies and test- “The chocolate itself is af- called terpenes that give Tay, who leads the work for
to interfere with potency ing labs are developing fecting our ability to mea- the marijuana plant its National Research Council
testing. A chocolate la- those standards and some sure the cannabinoids pungent aroma. Many ter- of Canada.
beled as 10 milligrams of are legally protecting their within it,” said David Daw- penes get lost or changed To do his work with choco-
THC could have far more ideas. son, chemist and lead re- in the process of making late, Dawson grinds a THC-
and send someone to the Scores of cannabis-related searcher at CW Analytical a THC or CBD extract. But infused chocolate bar in a
emergency room with hal- inventions have received Laboratories in Oakland, users want a certain smell commercial food proces-
lucinations. U.S. patents, said Boston at- California, which tests mari- and taste, said chemist Jef- sor, weighs samples, adds
The latest research on torney Vincent Capuano, juana. frey Raber. Raber heads solvent to the material (“It
chocolate, to be present- who holds a doctorate in The more chocolate in the the Werc Shop, a Los An- starts looking like choco-
ed at a San Diego meeting organic chemistry. Inven- vial, the less accurate the geles company that mixes late milk,” he says), before
test results, he found. He terpenes from lavender, or- measuring the THC po-
thinks some of the THC is anges, black pepper and tency. He’s tested cocoa
clinging to the fat in choc- other plants to mimic the powder, baking chocolate
olate, effectively hiding flavor and scent of canna- and white chocolate to try
from the test. bis varieties. The mashups to determine what ingredi-
Dawson’s research is on the are sold to companies who ents are hiding the THC dur-
agenda at the American add them to oils, tinctures ing testing.
Chemical Society meeting and foods. This will lead to better test-
in San Diego. The confer- Monica Vialpando, a San ing standards and safer
ence includes 20 presen- Francisco chemist, is work- products, he said.
tations about marijuana’s ing to prevent drinks with “We need good ‘capital S’
technical challenges, said CBD and THC oils from sep- science,” he said.q