// Definition
Colony-forming units — the standard microbiological measurement used in cannabis compliance testing to quantify yeast, mold, and bacterial contamination. Different states set vastly different CFU thresholds for legal cannabis products.
// From the Episode
Bubbleman revealed the stark disparity: Michigan allows 100,000 CFU, Illinois only 1,000 CFU (which he called 'insane' and suspected was influenced by irradiation companies like Rad Source). Colin Palmer said New York state requires 10,000 CFU and that his living soil cannabis passed well below that threshold. He cited the chief science officer at Medicinal Genomics, who argued current testing protocols cannot distinguish good from bad microbes, leading to a misconstrued regulatory environment.