Randy Reed
VP Scientific SolutionsActiveRandy Reed has over twenty years of experience in cannabis extraction and vape manufacturing. He is a cannabis scientist who has invented patent-pending extraction technologies and published peer-reviewed research. His products have earned over thirty first-place awards in West Coast cannabis competitions. At the 2022 Emerald Cup, he won first place in the CO2 Vape category; shortly thereafter, he joined the cannabis vape hardware manufacturer Active (FKA AVD), where he currently serves as Vice President of Scientific Solutions. In this role, he leverages his extensive knowledge of the cannabis vape market to develop novel methods for performance and safety testing vapes. His work at Active provides a scientific foundation for the success of the company's clients. Randy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences from the University of Washington and is an active contributor to the ASTM D37 committee for cannabis standards and to Vape Safer, the leading cannabis vape industry advocacy organization.
Building a Safety Standard for Cannabis Vape Products: A Science-Based Risk Assessment Framework for Manufacturers and Regulators
The cannabis industry operates without a harmonized product safety standard for products intended for vaporization and inhalation. Manufacturers face
…The cannabis industry operates without a harmonized product safety standard for products intended for vaporization and inhalation. Manufacturers face a patchwork of state testing requirements with no consistent methodology for evaluating whether a pr
…The cannabis industry operates without a harmonized product safety standard for products intended for vaporization and inhalation. Manufacturers face a patchwork of state testing requirements with no consistent methodology for evaluating whether a product is actually safe to inhale, and regulators lack a shared framework to assess the submissions they receive.
This session introduces a peer-reviewed, iterative risk assessment framework developed
The cannabis industry operates without a harmonized product safety standard for products intended for vaporization and inhalation. Manufacturers face a patchwork of state testing requirements with no consistent methodology for evaluating whether a product is actually safe to inhale, and regulators lack a shared framework to assess the submissions they receive.
This session introduces a peer-reviewed, iterative risk assessment framework developed specifically for cannabis inhalation products, built on decades of toxicological evaluation science from adjacent regulated industries. Drawing on real formulation and nonclinical data from an 8% terpene blend in THC distillate evaluated through targeted and nontargeted chemical analysis, aerosol characterization, stability testing, and in vitro toxicology, the panel will walk through what a credible product safety program actually looks like, where current standardized methods fall short when applied to cannabis matrices, and how manufacturers can begin implementing evidence-based risk evaluation today without waiting for federal guidance that may not come soon.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the structure of an integrated, iterative cannabis product evaluation framework from ingredient-level hazard identification through formulation assessment, nonclinical testing, and aerosol characterization.
2. Learn why standard ENDS testing methods developed for nicotine products require adaptation when applied to high-viscosity THC distillates and terpene-rich cannabis formulations.
3. Identify which chemical constituents in cannabis vape products (including carbonyls, metals, VOCs, and thermal degradation products) require targeted analysis and why nontargeted screening is essential for a complete safety picture.
4. Understand the role of stability testing in product evaluation and what chemical changes in cannabis vape formulations over a 12-month period reveal about formulation risk.
5. Learn how in vitro toxicology assays (cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, mutagenicity) can be practically applied to cannabis subcomponents and finished formulations, and what their limitations are in this context.
6. Recognize how lessons from tobacco and nicotine product regulation (including FDA's PMTA framework) offer a practical blueprint for cannabis manufacturers seeking to demonstrate product responsibility ahead of formal federal oversight.
7. Leave with a practical roadmap for implementing a tiered product safety evaluation program at your organization, regardless of scale or regulatory jurisdiction.
