Sage Analytics President Remarks on CBS News Report on the Hazards of Edible Marijuana Products

Industry leader says that testing should be and can now be done on a consistent basis.

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Jan 14, 2015, 11:16 ET

BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Sage Analytics (www.sageanalytics.com), the developers of a new generation of equipment for the testing of marijuana potency and moisture content, responded today to the recent report on CBS News claiming that edible marijuana products are causing an increasing number of visits to the emergency room.

The report said that doctors, regulators and even the police from California to Colorado are observing a downside from the lack of adequate standards for legal marijuana products.

"There's no way to know the content of the THC, nor what the other additives are, and clearly they are not done in the auspices of public health or standards for restaurant production," San Mateo Police Chief Sue Mannheimer told CBS News for their report.

According to the report, edible makers contacted for the CBS story seemed to place much of the responsibility for product safety on the consumer.

Sage Analytics President, Matt Kaplan, said that he looks forward to working with manufacturers of cannabis infused edible products, and providing them with tools and technology to address this critical issue so that they can independently and regularly test their extract or oil prior to manufacturing. This will lead to greater accuracy of potency amounts in their merchandise, more precise labeling and packaging, a more informed consumer, and safer and more reliable products.

"Our company was built on the belief that the marijuana content of cannabis-infused products should be pre-tested before production and their release to the market. Consumers should have confidence in what they are getting," Kaplan stated. "Just as food packaging must display the ingredients and nutritional information; wine, beer and spirits must list the alcohol content; and pharmaceuticals must monitor and disclose all ingredients; so should marijuana edibles possess reliable labeling of their potency and quantity of active components," he added. "In order for our emerging industry to gain mainstream acceptance, we must provide the tools to help the consumer make informed purchasing decisions about what they are putting into their body."

Sage Analytics has developed the Luminary™ Profiler, a new potency measurement system based on technology used for analytical measurements in the pharmaceutical industry. The Luminary™ Profiler provides highly accurate and instantaneous potency measurements of cannabis plants and extracts in a cost-effective, portable unit that can be easily operated on-site. Having greater access to reliable testing of the marijuana-based oils that are used as ingredients in their edibles, producers will know the projected potency of their products prior to manufacturing, enabling greater accuracy in labeling.

The Luminary™ Profiler uses the CannaMetric™ Profile rating scale as a quick and easy-to-understand reference tool for consumers. The CannaMetric™ Profile provides a foundation for marijuana potency standardization, and promotes greater understanding of potency-related information.

Designed to meet the specific needs of the cannabis industry, the Luminary™ Profiler gives instantaneous, accurate and affordable potency measurements of THC, CBD and CBN, and can be read on-site at any time during the cannabis life-cycle for flower and extract product, and prior to production of edibles. This provides a powerful and useful tool for growers, manufacturers, distributors, dispensaries, and regulators.

California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is a strong backer of legalized marijuana, said he believes the issue needs closer scrutiny. "The whole area is a point of legitimate concern. Those that are promoting, as I am, a different approach to the drug policy, need to be very, very honest about the edible issue," he said, according to CBS News.

"Our product is a breakthrough for the cannabis industry," Kaplan added. "We now have it in our power to better address some of the critical issues facing this rapidly growing marketplace."

For more information on the Luminary™ Profiler and the CannaMetric™ Profile, visit the Sage Analytics website at: www.sageanalytics.com

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SOURCE Sage Analytics