Lauren is a Senior Laboratory Technician at SafeTiva Labs in Westfield, MA. She works in both the biological and chemical side of operations, utilizing PCR and chromatography to test cannabis products. Lauren recently obtained her M.S. in Plant Science with a focus on cannabis molecular biology at the University of Connecticut where she focused on how hormones affect cannabinoid production. 

During our conversation, we discuss: 

• The process for how plants create cannabinoids 
  
• What role hormones play in the cannabinoid synthase process 
  
• Whether a hormone treatment could increase cannabinoid levels 
  
• The ethics around treating plants with exogenous hormones 
  
• How understanding hormones can help guide breeders to creating new cannabis varieties 
  

Thanks to This Episode’s Sponsor: Farmer Freeman

Farmer Freeman is a plant genetic testing laboratory serving homegrowers and commercial cultivators. Farmer Freeman offers plant sex testing, hop latent viroid testing, and more to customers around the world. Founded in 2015 in Washington DC, Farmer Freeman is one of the oldest and most trusted laboratories in the cannabis industry. Use Farmer freeman’s genetic testing services to save time, money, and resources in your grow.

Learn more at farmerfreeman.com. 

Additional Resources

• Analysis of hormonal regulation of promoter activities of Cannabis sativa prenyltransferase 1 and 4 and salicylic acid mediated regulation of cannabinoid biosynthesis
  
• SafeTiva Labs
  
• University of Connecticut CAHNR Cannabis Programs
  
• Request an Invitation to CannMed 23
  
• Review the Podcast!
  
• CannMed Archive
  
• CannMed Community Board [Facebook Group]
  
• Healthcare Provider Medical Cannabis Research Study