Amie Pottmeyer, Program Manager of the Laboratory Sciences - Major in Cannabis Laboratory at Hocking College, has completed cannabis research for a company that sells cannabidiol (CBD) products. In 2020, CBD Health Collection wanted a comparison study on two different CBD-infused coffees to make sure their customers were getting what they paid for.
Amie Pottmeyer, the analytical chemist, and the Hocking College Analytical Lab director at the time, conducted the study. The ground coffee samples formulated with CBD were tested to establish a baseline CBD concentration. Next, a brewing experiment was performed to test the concentration of CBD in the brewed coffee after five-minute intervals. In conclusion, the results indicate little transfer of the CBD from the ground coffee to the brewed product. In all experiments less than 1% of the theoretical amount of the CBD in the ground coffee was transferred to the brewed product. This research and other studies like it are critical to the understanding of CBD products available on the market, and especially important for customers to be informed in their purchasing.
Read the Full Report of Their Research Here
Pottmeyer grew up in Rushville, Ohio, and graduated with honors from Sheridan High School. She dreamed of becoming a doctor after high school. She loved chemistry and science because her chemistry teacher, Paul Culver, had a knack for making the material fun. He was so passionate about what he taught, that it rubbed off on Pottmeyer, along with the importance of not only getting an education but continuing to learn even into adulthood.
Because of her science teacher, Pottmeyer attended Marietta College after high school as a pre-med student. During this time, she was bitten by the research bug. She had many research projects for her major, requiring her to be in the lab late at night checking on all sorts of microbial plates, embedding organs in paraffin, etc. She loved this time with just her headphones and her research. It made her stop and think that maybe becoming a doctor wasn't for her since it required human interaction, something she wasn't big on at the time. She also loved her biochemistry classes and how they brought together two favorite subjects, biology, and chemistry, which satisfied her curious and analytical mind.
On May 5, 2019, Pottmeyer graduated from Marietta College with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a Minor in Leadership. After graduation, Pottmeyer realized that if she didn't continue with her education immediately, she might not ever continue. So two weeks after graduating with her bachelor's, she began at Ohio University. She knew she wanted to work in a lab and decided that analytical chemistry would be the perfect route for her where she could work with different types of analytical equipment and do the most good. She'd be able to work in pharmaceutical labs, research and development labs, forensics, etc. On May 2, 2020, she graduated with a Master of Science in Analytical Chemistry. Pottmeyer is currently working on her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Capella University. Her anticipated graduation date is Spring 2024.
Pottmeyer has worked a variety of jobs. She's been a Quality Control Technician at Dean Foods, collecting samples every hour to check that their products were within certain specifications. She also did equipment calibrations, air sampling, testing for bacterial growth, antibiotic residues, data collection, and entry.
She also worked as an adjunct instructor at Hocking after being approached to teach chemistry. She'd never considered teaching before but told herself she would try it and see if she liked it. After 8-weeks of teaching, she was hooked. Witnessing students finally grasp difficult content, plus knowing she's making a difference has been so rewarding. She enjoys taking the time to explain the material and answer questions, offering any extra help to those who need it. She says: "every student deserves to have one professor who can make a difference in their education and I always try my best to be that person for them."
Pottmeyer also worked as an Analytical Chemist at Hocking College. She tested cannabinoid content, or potency using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), moisture content, microbial analysis using 3M plates, research and development, sample prep, instrument calibration, and troubleshooting. She also did Terpene and Residual Solvent content using Gas Chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). "There is always such a negative view associated with marijuana, but when you look at the medical side, it is a medicine helping people with real health issues. I like the thought of knowing that what I was doing was helping someone else who was suffering."
The Laboratory Sciences - Major in Cannabis Laboratory program offers one-of-a-kind knowledge and training that other programs and schools don't have. Pottmeyer states there is "a class that focuses solely on Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP) rules and regulations which in itself is a huge advantage. Many employers have told us that if students know the rules and regulations they are already at an advantage because it's not something they need to teach. In addition, the lab has 3 HPLC's 3 GC-FID moisture balances, water activity probes, pH meters, a cryomill, autoclaves and incubators which students can use.”
When students graduate they can work as field/sampling technicians, laboratory technicians, business managers, sales representatives, extraction technicians, or cultivation technicians, just to name a few.
Pottmeyer is excited about the program, the growth of the cannabis industry in Ohio, and the many opportunities available to Hocking College students.
For more information about the Associate of Laboratory Science degree with a major in Cannabis Laboratory, contact admissions at admissions@hocking.edu or call admissions at 740-753-7050.