To sell cannabis in most states, you must be a licensed grower. You must meet state safety standards and ever-evolving regulatory requirements to maintain that license. Unfortunately, many growers fall into the trap of believing they can do their testing. However, the growing impact of failed product audits can quickly put you out of business if you don’t keep your products up to state standards.
That’s why more growers and manufacturers are relying on reputable labs to partner with. Laboratories depend on your business and will work hard to get you the most accurate information. These test results can help you make crucial decisions regarding your crop. Lux Leaf Diagnostics is here to partner with you.
Benefits to Growers
When working with a reputable testing lab, the lab will maintain a chain of custody for all samples it receives. Because cannabis is a controlled substance, the lab must track the movement of laboratory samples at every stage of the testing process.
Once your sample is received at the lab, our technicians will generate a barcode for your sample. This barcode will stay with your sample at every stage to ensure the accuracy of your results.
At LUX Leaf, we have invested heavily in our lab equipment and training the best technicians in the region to provide accurate and efficient testing. In addition, our workflow has been streamlined to provide you with accurate results quickly so you can make decisions and adjustments accordingly. Whether you are a corporate grower or a single farmer, we will treat your sample with the same level of care and professionalism.
What Do You Test For?
Most commonly, we test for cannabinoid profiles, also known as potency testing, which is critical to measure the medicinal strength or efficacy of hemp and cannabis products. This simple test will inform you about how rich your plant is in certain cannabinoids like THC or CBD using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technology. This is especially relevant if you are selling a CBD product. This is essential information that is especially helpful with the dosing when using plant material for edible or infused products. Knowing these exact levels can help you provide a consistent product to your customer.
Our second most popular test is a terpene profile. This test is another indicator of quality, terpenes are responsible for the smell and taste of cannabis, and many growers concentrate on changing growing conditions to favor cannabinoid concentrations which can sacrifice terpene quality. Maintaining a good balance of both will give you the best results. Knowing your numbers can inform you about making decisions regarding future growing decisions.
Our lab is also equipped with safety screens for microbial contaminants or pesticide residues if your business requires it. Mold can be hazardous to those growing outdoors and often cannot be visually spotted. Mold can appear at any stage of the growing or drying process, and it’s best to test often if you have any suspicions you might have a mold outbreak. We test for microbial contaminants of pathogenic species, such as aerobic bacteria, yeast and mold, coliforms, and bile-tolerant gram-negative bacteria and mycotoxins using the technology of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for each of the cannabis grow stages. Microbial contaminants are almost always too small to see with the human eye. But testing will give you all the information you need to make informed decisions about the safety of your crop.
Lux Leaf provides pesticide residue contaminant testing using LC-MS/MS analysis to measure for potential contamination of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury which are potentially toxic and harmful elements. Pesticides can be used on cannabis growth to improve yields of cannabis, but sometimes this leads to exposed residue levels of pesticides such as insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, and acaricides which can pose health risks to cultivators and consumers.
Heavy metal testing is also an essential safety screen. Lux Leaf Diagnostics uses inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure heavy metal residue. Because cannabis is adept at bioremediation, it can pull elements from its growth medium at a high rate. However, this is great if you want to remove contaminants from the soil intentionally. On the other hand, it can be pretty harmful if those plants are consumed, as high enough concentrations of metals consumed daily can be dangerous to human health. Our heavy metal screen will detect the presence and concentration of various heavy metals. It lets you know that the product you are providing is safe for your consumers.
At Lux Leaf, we want you to feel confident about your products. We have worked hard to create a safe and efficient lab that can provide you with the test results you need promptly. Contact us today to get started!