Rhode Island Code of Regulations
Title 216 - Department of health
Chapter 60 - Laboratories and Medical Examiner
Subchapter 05 - State Laboratory
Part 6 - Licensing Analytical Laboratories for Sampling and Testing Cannabis
Section 216-RICR-60-05-6.20 - Sample Preparation

1. Disposable gloves;

2. Decontaminated tool(s) such as disposable pipettes and plastic or stainless steel spatulas, knives, and sampling spears;

3. Decontaminated stainless steel bowls and implements to homogenize the product by stirring, chopping, or grinding;

4. Clean, decontaminated surfaces for sample processing;

5. Decontaminated sample containers appropriate for the analyses required;

6. Container labels and pens with indelible ink; and,

7. Supplies to thoroughly clean, decontaminate, and dry sample preparation equipment between samples.

1. Wear disposable gloves to avoid contaminating samples. Do not wear creams or perfumes.

2. Ensure that the sample preparation area is clean and decontaminated and lay out any tools and equipment needed.

3. Place the sample in the stainless-steel bowl or on a decontaminated cutting surface for homogenizing the sample using either the sample collection tool or separate clean, decontaminated implement.

4. Prepare the sample for analysis using an appropriate decontaminated tool. Do not touch the sample with your bare hands or allow the sample to touch anything that might cause cross contamination.

5. Clean any tools or equipment that come in contact with the finished plant material or other cannabis products before preparing the next sample.

6. Place all samples in clean, air tight sample containers that are large enough to hold the prescribed sample quantity with minimal headspace. Close and label sample containers.

7. Preserve the chemical and biological composition of the samples, by refrigerating samples at < six degrees Celsius (6º C).

8. Ensure samples of finished cannabis plant and edible products are homogenous with respect to distribution of cannabinoids or contaminants.

9. Thoroughly stir or mix before quantitatively measuring a portion for analysis. Grind and thoroughly mix solid and semi-solid products. Use a grinding device that minimizes loss (e.g., leaching of resins) and, thoroughly clean the grinding device after each use.

10. For finished cannabis products that are distributed in a ground form, quarter the product batch sample. Quartering involves heaping the ground product, dividing the heap into four (4) equal quarters, and selecting samples from two (2) of the quarters, which are then combined and mixed. The remaining quarters may then be combined and mixed, and used for microbiological and contaminant testing.

11. Do not melt resin and other solids as a means of homogenization. Heating the product may alter the cannabinoid profile or contamination levels thereby rendering the sample unrepresentative of the source product.

12. Homogenize laboratory samples of edibles prior to testing such that the sample is representative of the finished product batch. Mix or quarter homogenized samples in a manner like the procedure described in § 6.20(B)(10) of this Part. If individually packaged edibles are sampled from a production batch, combine multiple packaged products and prepare such that the distribution of cannabinoids or contaminants is representative of the production batch.

13. When subsamples are required, composite (combine) subsamples, if possible, and mix to obtain a quantity sufficient for evaluation. The quantity sufficient for evaluation may vary by analytical method and laboratory-specific procedures, therefore the analytical laboratory must define the minimum sample quantity required for evaluation.

14. Compositing subsamples may be impractical for some product types (e.g., hard "candies" or other products in discrete solid units). In these cases, individual product units must be collected by the analytical laboratory as samples for analysis. In some cases, the analytical laboratory may combine extracts or digestates prepared from the solid subsamples and analyze the volumetrically combined extract/digestate as a composite.