Science of weed: Ann Arbor lab makes sure dispensaries sell high-quality bud

As a lab technician in a white coat slides a marijuana sample underneath a microscope, a magnified image of dozens of sparkling crystals appears on a computer screen.

They’re trichomes, oozing with therapeutic cannabinoids, meaning it’s probably some pretty good bud.

But the tiny bugs found among the crystals are another story.

It’s just another afternoon at PSI Labs, a state-of-the-art facility in Ann Arbor where a team of 13 scientists and technicians use high-tech equipment to conduct quality-control testing for Michigan’s cannabis industry.