Author: The Good Lab

Does Humulene Kill Cancer Cells?

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Because of ongoing federal prohibition, formal studies that could “officially” quantify the medicinal applications of cannabis have not kept up with anecdotal reports from consumers. Cannabis is believed to help a wide range of conditions from epilepsy to nausea and sleeplessness to anxiety. It is also thought that cannabis could be a tool in cancer treatment, a disease that  takes the lives of approximately 607,000 Americans each year, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Taking the cannabis plant as a whole, there are thousands of compounds that work together to deliver its ameliorative effects: cannabinoids, flavonoids, and aromatic compounds called terpenes, which gives cannabis (and other plants) its signature smell. That lovely smell of pine during the holiday season? You can thank pinene for that. Or how about the lavender essential oil you use to calm yourself down before sleep? That’s linalool.

Other terpenes common to the cannabis plant are limonene (lemon), beta-caryophyllene (pepper), and myrcene (lemongrass), though there are others, each providing strains with their own unique scent signatures and healing benefits. 

One terpene in particular that we haven’t touched on yet may prove to be useful in the fight against cancer, and that compound is humulene. Some research shows that this fragrant and healing compound may kill cancer cells. But is that true? Let’s have a look at this versatile terpene. 

Humulene’s History in Medicine

If you’ve recently had a beer you’re familiar with humulene, formerly known as a-caryophyllene. That’s because humulene is responsible for the hoppy and tangy taste you associate with your favorite brewski. But humulene is not only found in beer, it is also present in ginseng, ginger, and sage. 

Humulene’s therapeutic applications go back thousands of years. Its presence in beer alone dates more than 5,000 years back to ancient Mesopotamia, and its use in Chinese medicine as an energy booster, appetite suppressant, and natural antibiotic goes back for millennia.

Recent studies on humulene back up this ancient intuition. One study found that in small quantities, it was able to kill S. aureus bacteria, more commonly known as staphylococcus, a common bacteria which can nonetheless be fatal for some populations. It was also shown to be an effective analgesic and antibacterial agent. 

Researchers also uncovered anti-cancer properties. In fact, when humulene was studied working together with other compounds, the combination inhibited cell growth by up to 90 percent, depending on the pharmacology and substance. Another interesting find showed that humulene is as effective an anti-inflammatory as the corticosteroid dexamethasone, currently being utilized for the most critically ill in the treatment of COVID-19.

The Wrap Up

While some research has shown us that humulene can inhibit cancer cell growth, it’s very important to remember that this research has not been carried out on humans. If you or a loved one has or has recently been diagnosed with cancer, reach out to your doctor immediately to have a candid conversation about how cannabis could be an additional tool in their medical care.

How much humulene is in your cannabis? Find out with a terpene profile from The Good Lab. We test for the 22 most common terpenes in cannabis/hemp. Contact us to get started.

Thanks to The Pot Guide for this informational article.

Pinene: The Anti-Inflammatory Terpene That Helps Respiratory Conditions

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Of the 200 aromatic terpenes possible in an individual strain (or cultivar) of cannabis, pinene is the second most common behind myrcene, and the most frequently appearing in the plant world.

Like many other terpenes, pinene is available in two varieties, alpha and beta (the former being the most common in cannabis). This naturally occurring molecule conveys the highly recognizable aroma of a pine forest; its exact floral composition depends on the other terpenes present. Alpha-pinene smells light and fresh like pine, while beta-pinene smells a little spicier.

Also found in basil, orange peel, parsley, pine, and rosemary, pinene is an effective insect repellent (one of the primary evolutionary roles it and all terpenes play for the cannabis plant) and is a constituent component of turpentine. It is commonly used, in both naturally harvested form, and as synthesized industrially, in the fragrance industry.

The Details of Pinene

Like other major terpenes, the medical efficacy of pinene is multifaceted, offering anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and even dermatological benefits. Pinene has even been found to be a valuable ingredient in topicals for the treatment of acne.

This important terpene has also been shown to improve energy levels and mental focus, making it popular among knowledge workers and hard-driving creative professionals. In addition, pinene works well as a bronchodilator, making this terpene valuable for those suffering asthma and related respiratory conditions.

Pinene is an excellent example of the effects of the entourage effect, a theory that terpenes and cannabinoids interact in special ways to amplify, buffer, and otherwise modify the efficacy of one another — including their overall aggregate effect.

For those who may have consumed too much of the infamous psychoactive cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), pinene acts as a buffer, helping prevent panic attacks and other negative responses to becoming “too high” or “spun out.” This special terpene can accomplish this feat only because it is one of the few molecules permitted to cross the extremely selective blood/brain barrier, where it can modify the binding affinity and interaction of cannabinoids like THC with the CB1 receptors found in the brain and central nervous system.

As an anti-inflammatory, pinene offers gastrointestinal protective properties, making it a potential antiulcerative and a recommended terpene for those suffering from conditions such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease.

The Research

Multiple studies reveal pinene to be an effective and powerful anti-inflammatory agent and bronchodilator, giving it special efficacy for those with arthritis, gastrointestinal conditions, and even cancer.

A January 2015 study entitled “Gastroprotective Effect of Alpha-pinene and its Correlation with Antiulcerogenic Activity of Essential Oils” and published in the journal Pharmacognosy Magazine concluded that pinene is an excellent treatment therapy for sufferers of various types of ulcers and other digestive conditions. “Our data showed that α-pinene exhibited significant antiulcerogenic activity and a great correlation between concentration of α-pinene and gastroprotective effect,” reported the study’s researchers.

A May 2015 study published in the journal Scientific Reports and entitled “Hippocampal Memory Enhancing Activity of Pine Needle Extract Against Amnesia” concluded that “Pinene could be a potent neuropharmacological drug against amnesia” and other diseases related to memory, retention, and recall.

How much pinene is in your cannabis? Find out with a terpene profile from The Good Lab. We test for the 22 most common terpenes in cannabis/hemp. Contact us to get started.

Thank you Cannabis Aficionado for this information-filled article.

Marijuana Math: Figuring Potency by Fill Weight

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Figuring potency based in a complicated formula for something like an infused topical or edible can be daunting. Often there are several different ingredients with different densities that make the calculations difficult and confusing. There’s a much easier way: Fill Weight.

The Fill Weight is the actual weight of the product. For topicals that would be the weight of the product in the container. For a cookie that would be the weight of a single cookie.

To find the weight in a container simply weigh the container empty, fill it with a known amount of product, and weigh it again. Subtract the weight of the empty container from the weight of the filled container and you have the fill weight. Pretty simple, huh? As long as you put the same weight of product in each container, your potency should be the same each item.

Here’s an example:

An empty 60ml jar weighs 5 grams. The total weight of a filled 60ml jar is 45 grams. Subtract 5 from 45 to get the fill weight: 40 grams. That means the weight of the product inside the jar is 40 grams.

Let’s say the product tested at 2.0% CBD.
First, convert grams to milligrams. 40 grams = 40,000mg
Multiply milligrams by percentage. 40,000 X 2.0% = 800
There’s 800mg of CBD in the 60ml (40g) jar of product.

Here’s another example:

A cookie weighs 4 grams and tests at 0.15% CBD
4 grams = 4,000mg
4000 X 0.15% = 6
The whole cookie has 6mg of CBD.

So how much does your product weigh?

That’s not always an easy answer, at least not if you’re in the United States. Unlike most of the world, the U.S. uses the imperial system of weights and measures rather than the metric system. Where this gets in the way (or weigh) is when an ounce isn’t really an ounce.

The imperial system uses “ounce” to indicate both weight and volume. But a one-ounce jar of lead doesn’t weigh the same as a one-ounce jar of water, and ten ounces of feathers will take up more space (volume) than ten ounces of water, so you have to know what you’re talking about.

The weight of a tincture in a one-ounce bottle will vary depending on its formula. This gets particularly complicated when it comes to topicals where ingredients are often whipped together with air taking up space without adding weight.

We work in the metric system, and if you’re producing a cannabis product, you should too. It’s so much easier to keep weight and volume straight during formulation when you’re talking milligrams and milliliters.

If you need to convert ounces to milligrams, there are some great calculators online that make it easy.

Get a good scale

The real trick is having an accurate metric scale that measures in milligrams (.001 gram). The accuracy of your scale can really skew your results. If you want us to figure your Fill Weight, simply send an empty jar along with the full jar to be tested and we’ll weigh, compare and make the calculations for you.

Now you know how to figure potency by Fill Weight. Pretty simple and pretty useful.

Go forth and formulate good products. And remember to get them tested at The Good Lab.

Potency testing: GC vs. LC

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At The Good Lab, we use High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for potency testing. Why is that important? Here’s a great explanation of the difference between gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) from Lift Cannabis News Magazine (Canada).

Potency Testing

Marijuana is a complex matrix. Like many natural products it contains thousands of compounds, many of which have yet to be discovered or understood. Separating out the THC and CBD from the diverse soup of compounds contained in your marijuana is essentially like looking for a few needles in a big haystack.

Chromatography is the chemist’s way of sorting out that haystack. In the cannabis world, potency is tested by liquid chromatography or gas chromatography. Although there are some promising techniques for testing potency using spectroscopy instead of chromatography, chromatography is currently the industry standard method used in Cannabis testing labs from Colorado to Uruguay.

How it works

To get an understanding of how chromatography works and what the “liquid” and “gas” terminologies mean, one first needs to look at the “column”. This is where the separation occurs in both liquid and gas chromatography.

A column is basically a tube that contains a chemical phase or material (the stationary phase) and a “mobile phase” which is what keeps everything moving through the column (this is where the “liquid” and “gas” part comes in). In gas chromatography the mobile phase is a gas (an inert gas like helium, hydrogen or nitrogen) and in liquid chromatography the mobile phase is a liquid (like methanol, acetonitrile and water).

For the separation to take place, the marijuana extract gets put onto the column, and will be transitioned through the column from one end to the other by the mobile phase. The components inside the extract (the THC and CBD) will have varying affinity to stay in the stationary phase that lines the column. Some will stay in longer than others, so they become separated from each other.

gc vs lc liftcannabis caAt the end of the column, once each of the components have been separated, they will be detected or “counted”. There are differences between the way the THC and CBD are detected between liquid or gas chromatography. In gas chromatography (GC) you often see that the analysis is called “GCFID”. The FID part stands for “flame ionization detector” which is essentially like it sounds – a flame! The FID will burn the compounds as they exit the column and an electrical signal is measured. This signal is directly proportional to the amount of the compound present.

In this type of liquid chromatography, the measurement is by UV (ultraviolet). A light in the wavelength range of the ultraviolet (yes, the same UV that your Oakley sunglasses are blocking from your eyes) is directed through the compound as it exits the column. The helpful characteristic of the THC and CBD molecules is that they absorb UV light, and this absorption can be measured and is directly proportional to the amount of the compound present.

You may have noticed that “LC” is often referred to “HPLC”. This was just the chemists adding more letters to something that was already concise and sensible. The “HP” stands for high pressure, or sometimes “high performance”, which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some even call their systems UHPLC or ULTRA high pressure liquid chromatography. A higher pressure system will do the analysis faster, but that’s it.

So what about the other cannabinoids? Chances are, if you are reading this blog you are aware that there are a lot of other important cannabinoids in marijuana; CBN (cannabinol), CBG (cannabigerol), CBC (cannabichromene), delta-8-THC and many, many more! Why are these not reported? Especially as there is an indication that these compounds have important medical properties. Well, for now, it is not required. But many labs and licensed producers are already testing for these other cannabinoids. And what about the acid forms of the compounds, THC-acid and CBD-acid? This brings out an important discussion that relates directly back to the analysis by GC versus LC.

The effect of the main psychoactive compound (THC) is greatly reduced unless the THC-A is converted to THC. When cannabis is heated, the acid forms of the cannabinoids will readily convert to their neutral forms. Without heating (and not waiting for a long time) THC will remain in acid form, and this structure of the molecule doesn’t bind to the receptors in our brain that happily accept the neutral THC (THC with the acid removed).

Why does this affect the choice of analytical instrumentation? Well, in order for GC (gas chromatography) to work, the marijuana extract has to be converted to gas form, which means it is heated before entering the column. Any acid cannabinoid compounds, such as THC-A will be converted to their neutral forms, and no acid compounds will be detected, Conversely, in LC, the extract in liquid state can be injected onto the column as is, and therefore, you can quantify all the acid and neutral forms of your cannabinoids.

Some argue that the GC better mimics the state in which marijuana is typically consumed; by smoking or vaporizing. However, many patients may choose to vaporize at lower temperatures, and they may in fact be consuming some of the cannabinoids in acid form. And what about the potential medical benefits of the acid cannabinoids and the other unreported cannabinoids such as CBC? At this early phase in our industry, we at Signoto believe it’s better to provide as much information as possible to medical practitioners and patients. It’s time to move quickly away from the mystery era of cannabis.

~Emily Kirkham

VP of Laboratory Operations at Signoto.

Thank you Lift Cannabis News Magazine for allowing us to share this! Please visit their site for more information on all things cannabis in Canada.

Go out and start your own lab

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We fought hard to get access to the licensed cannabis labs for patients and caregivers, but the industry and the Marijuana Enforcement Division is having none of it. They told us if you want testing for patients, go out and start your own lab.

So we did!

Frustrated with the lack of testing available to home cultivators, especially patients who need information about their medicine, we decided to do something about it. Thanks to the support of one of the state licensed labs, we can provide quality, accurate test results you can rely on.

We starting out by offering a Cannabinoid Potency Profile using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). We’ll be expanding our services over the next several months.

For more information or to make an appointment:
Call 303-455-3801
Email goodlabcolorado@gmail.com