ANAB at Pittcon: Quality Control and Cannabis Testing Laboratories

Instructor Susan Audino – S. Audino & Associates, LLC

Quality control (QC), alongside quality assurance (QA), forms the foundation of a laboratory’s QA/QC program. QA oversees the entire system to ensure operations stay within acceptable limits, while QC focuses on detecting and addressing deviations in method performance. Together, they ensure that test outcomes meet regulatory standards and customer expectations. QC is critical for producing accurate and reliable test results by identifying and correcting errors before sample results are reported. It emphasizes precision—how consistently results are reproduced under varying conditions. QC materials, which should closely resemble actual test samples, are assessed at key points such as the start of analytical runs, after maintenance, reagent changes, calibration, or when results appear questionable. This session will explore common QC programs in the cannabis testing industry, examining root causes of failures and the practical implications of QC beyond regulatory requirements. Participants will learn how to implement effective QC strategies that not only ensure compliance but also improve laboratory efficiency, reduce operational costs, and increase confidence in the validity of test results.