Meet MCR: Adam Langton

Name: Adam Langton

Position: Lab Tech

How long have you been with MCR?

About a year and half. Since June 2018.

What made you want to work for the company?

I went to school for chemistry at UMass Boston, so obviously it kind of fits into my wheelhouse. I wanted to do something that had to do with chemistry, but also this is something that is personally relevant to me, my friends and my family. That makes me have more stake in what we’re actually doing here. 

What’s an average workday look like for you?

It’s very busy. Obviously we’re a growing company. I do a lot of training, and try to get as much other work done as I can. It’s very fast-paced. You kind of have to keep up with that pace but also be focused on every single sample you’re processing, so in that way it’s kind of a balance. I weigh and process samples, pretty much anything. The only thing I really don’t do a lot of is data analysis. 

What’s your favorite part of the job?

I like the fact I get to do different things, since I’m signed off on almost all of the tests we do. It’s not like you’re doing the same thing every day. Like the test for cannabinoids, which is what I’m on basically all the time right now, you get to do a little bit of everything. It’s not the same thing over and over again. So there’s variety in what I do throughout the day, even if it’s just one test.

What’s it like to see that much cannabis product on a daily basis?

It’s definitely interesting to me personally. It’s good to see the different varieties and there’s always new kinds of products people are putting out. MIPs that are super weird, like pizzas and things like that, so it’s definitely interesting to see what everyone is doing. 

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about cannabis since you started?

Just the amount of work that goes into legally selling a product. Most people don’t really think about the fact that it is a living plant. It can have microbiological organisms growing on it, or the fact that it can uptake metals. A lot of people don’t think about that first, and that there might be risks if you’re consuming it without having it tested. I would say it definitely made me realize there’s a lot of things that could actually be harmful that is not necessarily the cannabis itself. 

What excites you the most about cannabis and the rapidly growing industry?

Our business particularly is growing very quickly and we’re always doing new things, like the Vitamin E testing or even just improving the methods. It definitely seems like we’re leading the charge for testing here in Massachusetts. It feels like we’re a part of something bigger. 

What’s your personal relationship like with cannabis?

I use it recreationally. My boyfriend uses it medically, and I have other friends and family who use it as well. For me personally, I’m not technically a medical patient, but it does help when I’m having anxiety or issues like that. It definitely does help me in certain ways. 

What’s your favorite strain?

Oh my god. I don’t know. I don’t know if I have an answer to that. Right now I’m actually growing, and what I’m growing is Banana Kush. I haven’t got to try it yet because it’s still growing. But I don’t know. There’s too many now! That’s the one thing about working in the lab – you see all these strains that people are putting out. People just give them such crazy names now. 

What’s your favorite way to consume?

Recently I’ve been doing mostly concentrates. I feel like it’s healthier than smoking a lot of plant material but I also enjoy edibles. They give you a different kind of feel. But mostly concentrates for sure. 

What do you like to do outside of work?

I like playing video games. Some kind of art – I like painting. I actually just started cross-stitching too. It’s actually really fun. But if you make a mistake or something, it gets so stressful. But it is really cool.