Background: Cannabis species have a propensity to bioaccumulate toxic heavy metals from their growth media. Increased testing for these metals is required to improve the safety of the legal medical and recreational cannabis industries. However, the current methods used for mandated heavy metals tests are not efficient for a large framework. As a result, there is limited testing capacity, high testing costs, and long wait times for results across North America. Objective: This study aimed to demonstrate that pooling strategies can be used to increase the throughput in cannabis testing labs and reduce some of the strain on the industry. Methods: This paper presents an algorithm to simulate different pooling strategies. The algorithm was applied to real world data sets collected from Washington and California state testing labs. Results: Using a single pooling method, for the California lab, pooling four samples on average resulted in a 54.1% reduction in tests required for 100 samples. Conclusion: The algorithms generated from lab data demonstrated that pooled testing strategies can be developed on a case- by-case method to reduce the time, effort, and costs associated with heavy metals tests. Highlights: The benefits of pooled testing will vary depending on the region and rate of contamination seen in each testing lab. Overall, our results demonstrate pooled testing has the potential to reduce the fiscal costs of testing through increased efficiency, allowing increased testing, leading to greater safety.

1. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
Simulations of Test Reduction Using Pooled
Heavy Metals Analysis in Cannabis
Dr. Markus Roggen
President/CSO
Delic Labs

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Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
• Why more testing will benefit everyone
• We even make an business case
• How to design pooled test batches to save time and
money
• We are back with more math!

3. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
• Why more testing will benefit everyone
• We even make an business case
• How to design pooled test batches to save time and
money
• We are back with more math!
• Why do you invite me back?

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Cannabis Testing
More than just Safety
How to save money with more testing

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The Economics of Testing
• Testing is expensive (~$550)
• Failed batches are more expensive (~$1300/lbs)
• CoT = Sample + Test + Failed Batches
• CoG = Production + Testing + Waste
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232041

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The Economics of Testing
• How to reduce product failure?
• And keep testing costs low for producers?
• And still make a profit as a testing lab?

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The Economics of Testing
• Test more and smaller batches!
• Test before and after process steps!
• Establish HACCP!
• Make the testing cheap for producers, as they are
not compliant test!
https://doi.org/10.5740/jaoacint.18-0205

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Define the Problem
• Extractor suffers from contaminated raw material
• Cannabis bioaccumulates heavy metals
• Heavy metal testing is mandated
• Late detection = loss / cross-contamination
• Test early / often = $$$

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Pooled Testing to the Rescue?
And who are you to tell me to test more?

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Delic Labs and Collaborators
• Health Canada License for Cannabis and
Psychedelic Research
• Process Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Data Science
• Computational Chemistry
• Not a Testing Lab!

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Delic Labs and Collaborators
• Medicine Creek Analytics, WA
• Dr. Amber Wise
• Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs, CA
• Dr. Josh Swider

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Pooled Testing in the News
• How to test large number of people for a new virus?
• 133,816 patient samples / ~30,000 tests
• 20x more test for same budget https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abf1568

13. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
• How to test large number of people for a new virus?
• 133,816 patient samples / ~30,000 tests
• 20x more test for same budget
Pooled Testing in the News
https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abf1568

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Quantitative Pooled Testing
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181ba37a7

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Quantitative Pooled Testing
• Pooling used to reduce costs of polymerase chain
reaction-based screening for acute HIV infection
• Variety of pooling strategies for prevalence of HIV
1% - 25%
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181ba37a7

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Quantitative Pooled Testing
Indiv. Samples
• Value: 0-10
• Avg.: 1
• Fail: ≥5
• Fail: ~10%
• Tests: 25

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Quantitative Pooled Testing: Minipool
Indiv. Samples
• Value: 0-10
• Avg.: 1
• Fail: ≥5
• Fail: ~10%
• Test whole
row
• If threshold
≥1.8, look
for failed
sample
• Tests: 5

18. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
1.9
2.0
0.9
1.5
1.0
Quantitative Pooled Testing: Minipool
Indiv. Samples
• Value: 0-10
• Avg.: 1
• Fail: ≥5
• Fail: ~10%
• Test whole
row
• If threshold
≥1.8, look
for failed
sample
• Tests: 5

19. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
n/a
1.4
0.9
1.5
1.0
Quantitative Pooled Testing: Minipool
Indiv. Samples
• Value: 0-10
• Avg.: 1
• Fail: ≥5
• Fail: 8%
• Test indiv.
samples of
failed row
until avg.
passes
• Tests: 11
• 56% saved
5.0
1.0 1.4 1.3 1.1 5.2

20. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
Quantitative Pooled Testing: Matrix
Indiv. Samples
• Value: 0-10
• Avg.: 1
• Fail: ≥5
• Fail: ~10%
1.9
2.0
0.9
1.5
1.0
2.1 1.8
1.3
0.8
1.4
• Test row &
column
• If threshold
≥1.8, look
for failed
sample
• Tests: 10

21. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC 1.5
1.1
Quantitative Pooled Testing: Matrix
Indiv. Samples
• Value: 0-10
• Avg.: 1
• Fail: ≥5
• Fail: 8%
2.2
0.9
1.5
1.0
1.8
1.3
0.8
1.4
• Test row &
column
• If threshold
≥1.8, look
for failed
sample
• Tests: 12
• 52% saved
5.0
1.0

22. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
What is Pooled Testing of Heavy Metals!?

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What is Pooled Testing of Heavy Metals!?
Psycho
Las Vegas
2019

24. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
What is Pooled Testing of Heavy Metals!?
Herman Li
Dragonforce

25. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC

26. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
Define the Goal
• Increase sample throughput in cannabis testing labs
• Reduce strain on the industry
• Increase product safety
• Safe costs
• Demonstrate that pooling
strategies works

27. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
Today’s Goal
• Present an algorithm to simulate different pooling
strategies
• Apply to real world data sets of Washington and
California state testing labs

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The Datasets: Only Flower

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The Datasets: Only Flower
13% 20% 1.4%

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The Datasets
• Bootstrap sampling
• Synthetic data to
simulate pooling
strategies

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Sampling Strategies
• Each sample contains a value V between 0 and ∞
• For each heavy metal
• Fail value of K
• If V ≥ K the sample is considered contaminated
• 8,000,000 sample simulations later…

32. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
Results
It depends:
• State
• Metals
• Pool strategy
• LOD
• LLOQ

33. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
Results
It depends:
• State
• Metals
• Pool strategy
• LOD
• LLOQ

34. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
Fine Print
Measurement at the part-per-trillion scale requires extremely sensitive
instrumentation which is susceptible to cross-contamination. Therefore,
cross-contamination is also a concern for this analysis given the low
detection limits available with ICP-MS. Those who wish to validate this
method will need to be vigilant in taking preventative measures to
minimize contamination throughout the laboratory. Appropriate lab
separations and designated instruments and equipment should be utilized
to minimize cross-contamination.
As acknowledged by Cleary et al., pooling samples adds a level of
complexity in the lab because samples would need to be tracked across
multiple pools. To overcome this, testing labs might employ effective
tracking software or other methods.

35. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
Pooled Testing Conclusion
• 3 sample pool = 23.8% less tests (WA)
• 4 sample pool = 54.1% less tests (CA)
• Developed case-by-case to reduce time, effort, cost

36. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
Pooled Testing Conclusion
• Benefits vary depending on region / contamination
• Overall
• Reduced fiscal costs
• Increased efficiency
• Increased testing
• Greater safety

37. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
Try it out!
• Use in your lab
• Use for large customers
• Specific to one input type
• Should work for any test type: Pesticides, Bio,
Toxins
• We help with implementation!

38. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
Links
• https://doi.org/10.1093/jaoacint/qsac140
• https://github.com/cbdv-
ltd/pooled_testing_simulations

39. © 2023 MJBiz, a division of Emerald X, LLC
• Pool Testing
• Cost Saving
• Heavy Metal
• Markus doesn’t
know music
• Questions?
markus@deliclabs.com
www.deliclabs.com