DURANGO, Colo. – As the most experienced USDA compliant cannabis testing lab in the country, Aurum Labs, are setting themselves apart as industry innovators. Since its inception in 2014, Aurum has been working exclusively in cannabis science and is passionate about creating solutions for its clients and the industry as a whole.
Located in Colorado, America’s epicenter of cannabis and hemp industries, Aurum Labs is dedicated to supporting hemp farmers and processors across the country. Aurum Services , Aurum Labs’ Hemp Division, was founded as a direct response to the growing need for reliable, state-certified, and ISO accredited laboratory hemp and CBD testing services. Aurum Labs operates out of the rural community of Durango, and therefore they have the benefit of understanding the challenges that many farmers face within a rural economy.
Women-owned and operated, Aurum Services was founded by Liz Mason, a biochemist and the Director of Operations at Aurum Labs. Aurum Labs was founded by her husband and current Lab Director, Luke Mason in 2014. Together they worked to make Aurum Labs one of Colorado’s first fully state-certified marijuana testing laboratories. With over a decade of cannabis industry experience, Aurum soon realized that they could offer much more than just testing. Their hemp division now offers a full-service compliance package that will include services such as 3rd party sampling by USDA approved sampling agents and free shipping. The service package is meant to help cultivators and producers get their products to the market in a quick and cost-effective manner.
One of their main concerns is the number of new hemp testing labs that are popping up. Many of these labs have never tested hemp and have not yet begun to address the many challenges that the plant presents. Liz Mason states that, “Cannabis is a chemically unique plant and is not easily analyzed by traditional food or synthetic pharmaceutical methods. You can be a great scientist but without experience testing this particular matrix, you will be challenged.”
Mason elaborates that this is because cannabis can contain hundreds of cannabinoids, large intricate alkaloids with many different isomers. Often their molecular weight is similar to the molecular weight of pesticides which makes pesticide testing incredibly difficult.
Analyzing and accurately quantifying Δ9 THC levels is critical for the success of the hemp industry. Without a validated procedure for measuring cannabinoids, less experienced labs may report higher amounts of Δ9 THC than are present. Equally challenging is that for some hemp products, limits of quantification for cannabinoids must be both high and very low to accurately quantify. Aurum Labs has perfected the ability to do this with a Trace Analysis method.
“It has taken us years to develop our robust and precise methods. This kind of scientific analysis does not happen overnight.” states, Liz Mason. Aurum Labs has been serving the cannabis industry for years, facilitating a range of cannabis lab services in accordance with scientific best practices. Because of their trailblazing history in Colorado cannabis, Aurum Labs stands out as an industry expert, having already solved many of the challenges that emerging labs will face. Aurum has years of experience testing a wide variety of cannabis products including transdermal patches, softgels, distillates, beverages, candy, ice cream, chocolate, tinctures, bath bombs, salves, flower, and so much more.
They undergo third-party audits conducted by two separate entities, as well as annual proficiency tests to demonstrate Aurum’s ongoing commitment to accuracy, distinguishing them from many other Colorado and nationwide cannabis labs. Aurum has been invited to participate in nationwide hemp proficiency testing to help address and encourage a higher standard in hemp/CBD testing.
Aurum plans to continue to lead the industry on a national level. Liz Mason was recently appointed to the Hemp Committee of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), where she will support the industry and its journey towards a bright future. Luke Mason, the owner of Aurum Labs, currently resides on the NCIA Scientific Advisory Committee and the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division Science and Policy Work group.
Aurum Labs is invested in the future of the Hemp/CBD industry and looks forward to supporting farmers and processors across the nation.
For more information about Aurum Services and Aurum Labs, https://aurum-labs.com/
