DigiPath Labs CSO Dr. Cindy Orser Calls for Uniform Standards for Cannabis Safety Testing

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Cindy Orser, the Chief Science Officer of DigiPath Labs, the cannabis testing subsidiary of DigiPath, Inc. (OTCQB: DIGP), was recently interviewed by United Patients Group about the lack of consistency in today's medical cannabis testing industry. In her talk with the online resource for medical cannabis information, she explained that the state-to-state variations in cannabis laws are hurting patients because their lack of uniform requirements makes standardization impossible.

Dr. Orser is actively engaging with State of Nevada officials to help create the nation's most stringent medical cannabis testing protocols, and she works directly with the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG) to adopt those standards in other cannabis-legal states.

"Standards define how we live. They're seamlessly incorporated into our life," Dr. Orser recently told the CWAG members at their annual conference. "When you go get sixteen gallons of high-octane gas, you don't worry that that's not what you just put into your tank. You take an aspirin, and it's 325 mg—you don't even think about it. We need that kind of reliability in the medical cannabis industry."

The article points out that, while 23 states and Washington, DC, allow medical cannabis use, only twelve states currently require any kind of cannabis testing so far, and no state sets uniform testing-lab standards for testing, calibration, or exchange of standards between labs.

"Because cannabis remains illegal on the federal level, the FDA is not there to set uniform standards for cannabis safety the way it does for other medicine," notes DigiPath Labs CEO Todd Denkin. "If we're going to call it medicine, we have to treat it like medicine and standardized testing and testing protocols is a must."

Dr. Orser is especially concerned about pesticides in cannabis because they are particularly harmful to patients with compromised immune systems, and they only get stronger in cannabis concentrates.

"Our goal is to weed out cannabis products with unsafe levels of pesticides that can aggravate patient health problems, such as liver disease. It is in the best interest of every entity involved in the cannabis enterprise—from the producer to the dispensary owner to the State—to embrace the most rigorous testing requirements from a liability as well as a consumer and patient safety standpoint," says Dr. Orser.

Dr. Orser set up DigiPath's first testing lab, in Las Vegas, with top-of-the-line equipment, exacting SOPs, and mandatory quality-assurance testing. In adopting the standards that Dr. Orser is helping to design, Nevada will become a national model for assuring patient safety.

The attorneys general and lawmakers in other states are beginning to see the need for uniform standards, and Dr. Orser is hopeful that by raising awareness of the lack of cannabis testing requirements, legislation will be created to address this issue.

"It is time to have a national discussion to move toward a more unified approach to cannabis production, safety, and quality assurance testing," Dr. Orser declares.

For more information about DigiPath Labs, go to http://digipathlabs.com/. For interview requests with Dr. Orser, please email: [email protected] or call (702) 209-2429.

About DigiPath, Inc. (OTCQB: DIGP)

DigiPath, Inc., supports the cannabis industry's best practices for reliable testing and brings unbiased cannabis news coverage, interviews and education to the nation. DigiPath's three business units are DigiPath Labs, TNM News Corp., and DigiPath Corp.

Information about Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that include information relating to future events. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time they are made, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance to differ materially from those stated. For a description of the risk factors and uncertainties affecting DigiPath, please refer to the Company's recent Securities and Exchange Commission filings, which are available at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE DigiPath Labs, Inc.

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