The Best Cannabis Testing Labs and Why Your Business Must Utilize Them

An essential link in the seed-to-sale chain, cannabis testing labs ensure medical and recreational cannabis users know exactly what’s in the products they’re buying, and can trust the labeled potency. Proper testing is also crucial for CBD, delta-8 THC, and industrial hemp products, which must comply with strict THC content limits. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about cannabis and hemp testing labs, including how to select a trustworthy testing lab and get the most accurate analysis of your company’s cannabis and hemp products.

What Are Cannabis Testing Labs?

Lab testing is essential in the hemp and legal cannabis industries to ensure consumer safety, consistent product quality, and legal compliance. Cannabis testing labs serve an essential purpose as neutral third parties, giving an accurate, thorough, and unbiased analysis of all types of cannabis and hemp-derived products before they reach retail shelves. In addition to measuring the exact levels of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids, cannabis testing labs assess product samples for the presence of pesticides, pathogens, heavy metals, and other contaminants.

Certificate of Analysis

Once a cannabis product makes it through the testing process, the testing lab issues a document called a certificate of analysis (COA), which is a detailed presentation of its findings. The industry standard is for reputable cannabis and hemp companies to make these COAs available to their potential customers (typically shared on their websites). COAs also provide required information for accurate and compliant record-keeping.

Who Should Utilize Cannabis Testing Labs?

It is an absolute must that any company cultivating, processing, or manufacturing cannabis, hemp, CBD, or other cannabinoid-based products utilize lab testing services. Different countries and states have their own specific testing requirements for legal compliance – some more stringent than others. For example, the US state of Massachusetts requires cannabis and hemp products to be completely free of pesticides (even organic ones) and California requires the absence of 66 specific pesticides, while other states only require testing for a select few.

Even if your company operates in a jurisdiction with fewer testing requirements, it’s still worth subjecting your products to additional assessment for pesticides, metals, moisture, mold, or other potential contaminants. Not only will this ensure the safety of your customers and the quality and integrity of your products, but it also can reduce the risk of costly product recalls down the road.

What Do Cannabis Labs Test For?

Potency and Cannabinoid Content

Potency and cannabinoid testing are essential to ensure the homogeneity and advertised potency of cannabis-derived products – and to ensure hemp-derived products meet strict legal THC content limits. Cannabinoid content can be measured in ratios (i.e. THC:CBD), total cannabinoid content, or cannabinoid-per-weight percentage. The two most commonly used THC potency testing methods are HPLC analysis and NMR testing.

HPLC Analysis

The most accurate THC potency testing method is high-performance liquid cartographic (HPLC) analysis. HPLC analysis involves grinding sample material and placing it into a solvent, prompting cannabinoids and other compounds to separate as the sample material dissolves into the liquid. Next, the liquid is placed inside a tube and put under high pressure, causing heavier molecules to sink and lighter ones to rise. These compounds are then viewed under a special UV light detector, which is used to measure the density of different cannabinoids based on their ability to absorb UV light. Once all of a sample’s chemical compounds have been analyzed, lab technicians can accurately measure the sample’s cannabinoid concentration.

NMR Testing

In nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) testing, a sample is placed within a magnetic field and subjected to radio waves. Changes within the magnetic field then indicate which cannabinoid compounds are present. NMR has the benefit of being a simpler and less expensive cannabis potency testing option than HPLC, but it is not quite as precise.

Terpene Testing

Terpenes, the aromatic compounds that give each strain its distinct smell and flavor, contribute greatly to the effectiveness and unique properties of any full or broad-spectrum cannabis or CBD product. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) are typical assessment methods for terpene content. These methods involve placing sample material in either a liquid or gas solution to separate its chemical compounds. Next, the sample is subjected to a flame ionization detector (FID), causing each terpene present to produce an electrical signal, the strength of which indicates how much of that particular terpene the sample contains.

Pesticides, Herbicides, Fungicides, and Fertilizer Testing

While they may be effective at keeping pests away and helping plants grow quickly, most commercial pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers have hazardous effects on the humans who inadvertently consume them. To maintain consumer safety and product quality, testing for pesticides and similar agricultural chemicals is critically important. Cannabis testing labs use liquid and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS/GCMS) to assess cannabis and hemp samples for the presence of these dangerous chemicals.

Heavy Metal Testing

Cannabis and hemp plants are bio-accumulators, meaning they easily absorb heavy metals from the soil and water they’re grown in. These metals, including mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic, can be extremely dangerous to consumers, contributing to a host of severe and sometimes fatal health conditions. Even if you are careful to cultivate cannabis crops in soil free of heavy metals, contamination can still occur via contact with processing equipment or even some types of product packaging.

A particularly effective way to test for the presence of heavy metals is inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). ICP-MS involves the creation of a plasma, into which a sample is inserted and then atomized into ionic fragments, making it possible to detect every individual element present, including toxic heavy metals.

Residual Solvents Testing

Solvents are an effective way to extract cannabinoids from plant material for the creation of isolates or extract-based products, however, residual solvent material can be toxic when consumed. While there has been an industry-wide shift away from using solvents in the cannabinoid extraction process, it is still possible for residual solvents from equipment-cleaning products to sneak into cannabis and hemp products. Gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) is the most commonly used method for detecting the presence of harmful solvents, including acetone, butane, chemical-grade ethanol, hexane, and propane.

Microbial Testing

Unwanted microbes making their homes inside cannabis products can cause serious and sometimes fatal health issues for consumers. These tiny organisms present an even greater risk to those with compromised immune systems and other underlying health conditions – afflictions affecting a huge percentage of medical marijuana and CBD users.

Microbial tests reveal the presence of any harmful bacteria (such as salmonella and E. Coli), pathogens, mold, yeast, and even foreign matter or “filth” contamination such as feces, eggs, hair, parasites, or other insect or animal parts. Microbial contamination can be assessed via culture and surface sampling, or through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, a relatively quick and inexpensive DNA analysis method.

Mycotoxin Testing

Mycotoxins (including aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, and ochratoxin) are naturally-occurring substances created by fungi and mold that can be highly toxic to humans, especially those who are immunocompromised. Mycotoxin contamination of cannabis or hemp plant material can result from exposure to humidity, environmental stress, insects, or mold exposure during growth and/or processing. Mycotoxins in cannabis can be detected via liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) testing or via fluorometry, a method involving stimulation of a sample with ultraviolet light, causing all present chemical compounds (including mycotoxins) to emit varying amounts of light.

Moisture Content Testing

Excessive moisture within cannabis plant material increases the risk of contamination by bacteria, pathogens, fungi, yeast, mildew, or mold. Moisture levels over 12% leave cannabis and hemp material vulnerable to these contaminants (and also create a more hospitable environment for insects), making safe storage practices crucial.

Loss-on-drying, a process involving the heating of a sample in an oven and recording its pre-and post-drying weights, is the most common moisture content testing method. Alternatively, The Karl Fischer Method (KFM) can be used. KFM is an ultra-precise analysis method involving the dissolution of the sample in a solvent and the addition of a reagent to pinpoint its exact moisture content.

Lipid Content Testing

Lipids are a type of fatty acid naturally present in many types of plants, including cannabis and hemp. Lipids aren’t a bad thing in edible cannabis products, as they contribute to effective cannabinoid absorption. However, the presence of lipids in concentrates, vape cartridges, or other inhalable cannabis products is downright dangerous. Chemically derived lipids, such as vitamin E acetate, vegetable glycerol, and propylene glycol, have been known to aid in shelf-stability, viscosity, and as condensing agents for e-liquids.

However, these lipids are believed to remain in the lungs long after inhalation and have been shown to upset the natural function of surfactants in the lungs. Lipid accumulation in the lungs can also lead to fatal cases of pneumonia. Vitamin E acetate is the most notorious of these now-disallowed lipids, as it’s been connected to multiple deaths associated with vaping. Lipid content can be assessed via liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS).

Genetic Testing

Cannabis and hemp plants are only as good as their genes, and the true genetic makeup of your crop is critical knowledge for all breeders, growers, and processors. Cannabis genetic sequencing provides a clear and detailed look at the plant’s genotype (inherited genetic makeup and blueprint of its growth potential) and phenotype (observable traits such as smell, taste, color, and resin) – essential information for determining potency, agricultural yield, medicinal properties and more.

Stability Testing

Stability testing allows lab technicians to determine an accurate expiration date for cannabis or hemp-derived products, ensuring medical and recreational cannabis users are getting the correct potency for their specific needs. Over time, cannabinoids naturally begin to break down, decreasing their potency. This process is accelerated by exposure to light, air, or heat. Hemp and cannabis stability testing involves the placement of samples in real-time and accelerated test chambers, simulating the projected product quality in various storage conditions and over varying periods of time.

How to Find a Good Cannabis Testing Lab

The rapidly-expanding legal cannabis markets throughout the world have led to a huge demand for product testing – and a huge number of labs popping up to fill the need. But not all cannabis testing labs are highly-qualified or even trustworthy.

Because higher THC content is a major selling point for retail cannabis, some growers and processors have taken to shopping samples from the same batch around to different marijuana testing labs in an attempt to secure the highest potency numbers possible. And some unscrupulous labs have resorted to altering test results in order to secure reputations as resources for the highest potency numbers. But even when no unethical foul play is involved, inconsistency is a problem that’s plagued the cannabis testing industry since its beginning.

So how can you ensure the testing lab you trust with your products will deliver accurate and dependable results? Here’s what to look for when hiring a cannabis, CBD, or hemp testing lab:

• Accreditation – Only entrust your products to labs that have met all of the accreditation standards for the country and/or state they are located in, ensuring they meet standards of competence, cleanliness, and accurate reporting for the specific type of testing your business requires.
• Highly-Trained Staff – Incorrectly executed testing can produce false positives, resulting in massive product and profit loss. Look for labs staffed only by highly-trained professionals who are adept at executing highly-sensitive testing protocols and accurately assessing the results.
• Reputation – Be sure to research the qualifications of any testing lab before agreeing to work with them. The best cannabis testing labs will come highly rated, with plenty of positive reviews from satisfied clients. Don’t be afraid to ask around in your canna-business network for recommendations. Our list of trusted and recommended cannabis, hemp, and CBD testing labs is a great place to start your search.

Our Recommended Cannabis Testing Labs