#086: Elan Sudberg - Alkemist Labs Tests Your Shrooms & Botanicals

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/elan-sudberg-alkemist-labs

In early March of 2023, we hosted Elan Sudberg of Alkemist Labs on the PricePlow Podcast. Alkemist Labs is the place you go to get testing done on botanicals and mushrooms — they are even federally licensed to test psychoactive substances. They can be considered “plant and fungus cops”.

In this episode, Elan educates us on the importance and challenges of botanicals testing, covering technologies like HPTLC and DNA testing and how to appropriately test new substances. We get into some of the market trends and challenges that arose in 2020, and then head into the psychedelic space, discussing cannabis, psilocybin, ketamine, the fentanyl crisis, vaping, and far more.

Finally, we ask what Elan would do if he were made emperor for a day, and he gives a pretty detailed answer that’s indicative of the problems he sees in his corner of the world.

Great episode, we’ll definitely have him back on in the future. Detailed show notes are below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2DIJ02qfqo

Show Notes: Talking Testing with Elan Sudberg of Alkemist Labs

• (0:00) – Introductions
• (2:15) – Testing Botanicals and Mushrooms
• (3:30) – DNA testing
• (7:10) – Testing Example: Cordyceps
• (10:30) – What is the main concern right now?
• (15:30) – Why is there so much discrepancy in the testing industry?
• (18:30) – Have you had to pioneer your own reference material?
• (21:30) – What if you don’t have any background on an ingredient?
• (24:30) – Ingredient companies with new ingredients
• (28:00) – Trends from the Testing Perspective
• (31:20) – Psilocybin
• (35:30) – Psychadelic therapy, mostly ketamine
• (43:30) – Fentanyl Crisis
• (48:30) – Mystery powders
• (50:40) – Vaping industry
• (55:00) – Elan as Emperor for a Day