Document Type
Oral Presentation
Location
Oxford Conference Center
Event Website
https://oxfordicsb.org/
Start Date
22-4-2026 1:40 PM
End Date
22-4-2026 2:00 PM
Description
Public cannabis testing data enables cannabis cultivars to be evaluated as measurable chemical entities rather than defined solely by names or marketing. This work presents a scalable framework for cultivar characterization using large, multi-state laboratory datasets, with a focus on terpene composition and relative relationships between compounds. Using statewide testing data obtained through public records requests, we identify relationships between terpenes that best distinguish each cultivar from all others by quantifying overlap, separation, and variability across samples. New cultivars can be added incrementally and evaluated against all previously characterized cultivars, enabling continuous comparison and refinement. This approach is used to assess chemical distinctness, evaluate consistency among products sharing the same cultivar name, and monitor the appearance of cultivar-specific chemical signatures across markets. The results show that some cultivar names correspond to coherent chemical profiles, while others span broad and overlapping chemical space, illustrating how public testing data can support evidence-based cultivar classification and monitoring.
Recommended Citation
Kahn, Yasha, "Evidence-Based Characterization of Cannabis Cultivars" (2026). Oxford ICSB. 24.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/icsb/2026_ICSB/Schedule/24
Publication Date
April 2026
Accessibility Status
Screen reader accessible, Searchable text
Evidence-Based Characterization of Cannabis Cultivars
Oxford Conference Center
Public cannabis testing data enables cannabis cultivars to be evaluated as measurable chemical entities rather than defined solely by names or marketing. This work presents a scalable framework for cultivar characterization using large, multi-state laboratory datasets, with a focus on terpene composition and relative relationships between compounds. Using statewide testing data obtained through public records requests, we identify relationships between terpenes that best distinguish each cultivar from all others by quantifying overlap, separation, and variability across samples. New cultivars can be added incrementally and evaluated against all previously characterized cultivars, enabling continuous comparison and refinement. This approach is used to assess chemical distinctness, evaluate consistency among products sharing the same cultivar name, and monitor the appearance of cultivar-specific chemical signatures across markets. The results show that some cultivar names correspond to coherent chemical profiles, while others span broad and overlapping chemical space, illustrating how public testing data can support evidence-based cultivar classification and monitoring.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/icsb/2026_ICSB/Schedule/24
Comments
Yasha Kahn is Co-founder and VP of MCR Labs, a cannabis testing laboratory. His current focus is on policy and data science, with an emphasis on data-informed approaches to regulating laboratories and protecting consumers nationwide. He has led extensive, ongoing analyses of cannabis testing results and regulations across more than 20 states, uncovering trends, discrepancies, and opportunities to improve oversight and public health outcomes. Yasha has presented his findings at most major cannabis conferences, the American Chemical Society, the International Conference on the Science of Botanicals, to the Cannabis Regulators Association, and in a dedicated FDA, CDC, and Health Canada listening session focused on cannabis testing data.