With marijuana legalization seemingly sweeping the nation, the need for more precise testing and cannabinoid profiling has significantly increased the demand for chemist to conduct the specialized work.

At the American Chemical Society’s spring conference in Denver, on 23 March, scientist discussed the need for developments in understanding marijuana compounds and chemistry. The future of the marijuana chemist was poignant, as Colorado had just hit the one year mark for allowing retail marijuana sales.

“We need chemists to tell us what we have,” said Chloe Villano, founder of the Colorado-based cannabis business consulting company Clover Leaf.

A better understanding of the science behind cannabis is essential to providing safer and better products, which include oils, extracts and edibles. Chemists can help by, among other things, analysing samples to examine microbiologicals and providing residual solvent testing to ensure cannabis concentrates are free of impurities, Villano suggested.

Article Link: http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2015/03/chemists-demand-cannabis-marijuana-industry-experiences-explosive-growth