The LightLab 3 Cannabis Analyzer should help reduce the number of samples sent to forensic labs.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has selected the LightLab 3 High Sensitivity (HS) Cannabis Analyzer to play a pivotal role in its efforts to regulate the national cannabis industry. This move comes after numerous international and state regulatory agencies have successfully implemented LightLab 3 HS to support consumer safety and business licensure.
The FDA’s decision to deploy LightLab 3 HS Cannabis Analyzer stems from its commitment to address consumer safety concerns associated with food-related products containing CBD and Delta-8 THC. Over the past six years, the FDA has issued numerous consumer safety notices and letters to companies manufacturing or marketing CBD, and more recently, Delta-8 products that fail to comply with various FDA regulations. In addition, the FDA will potentially play a key role intercepting international and intrastate illicit shipments.
The FDA’s move follows the successful deployment of LightLab 3 by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) in 2022 after a thorough multi-phase assessment by the CBP’s Laboratories and Scientific Services.
“We have found that LightLab is very suitable as a quantification tool for cannabis samples.” said Josiris Rodriguez, a Chemist with the Customs and Border Protection Agency in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Mobile cannabis testing with LightLab 3 markedly decreases the burden on forensic laboratories, allowing non-technical operators to immediately test cannabis plants and products where the products are being made and sold. This capability results in fewer samples being sent to overburdened forensic labs, and ensures that compliant product is not seized. Overall, this reduces regulatory overhead and ultimately ensures consumer safety is protected.
“The public deserves to have complete confidence in the safety, labeling, and marketing standards of products on retail shelves. State regulatory agencies have successfully relied upon the LightLab 3 Cannabis Analyzer technology for years.” states Stephanie McArdle, President of Orange Photonics. “The FDA’s adoption of LightLab 3 Cannabis Analyzer is a positive step as it continues to prioritize public health within the current regulatory landscape.”
The LightLab 3 High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) platform, developed by Orange Photonics, is an application-specific portable HPLC capable of swiftly analyzing 19 cannabinoids in nearly any cannabis-containing product. Leveraging analytical methods favored by nearly all testing laboratories, LightLab 3 empowers non-technical operators to access highly sensitive compound analysis in non-laboratory settings. Orange Photonics is proud to be the analytical solutions provider to both the commercial and regulatory sides of the cannabis space, and continues to be committed to promoting consumer safety and industry growth.
Press release by Orange Photonics