Cannabis has been shown to provide many medical benefits. As each state establishes laws surrounding the use of cannabis for medical benefits, regulations and standards are quickly evolving. All medicinal products require information regarding their strength and correct dosage information. Cannabis products should be held to the same standards as any other prescribed medicine. Regulations and standards for acceptable limits of specific compounds are currently being developed to ensure cannabis products do not compromise a person’s immune system.
There are a few important reasons cannabis products are being lab tested in all states especially in Georgia. First, safety is always the top priority to verify that the products are safe for human consumption. Second, manufacturers need to maintain consistency. Lab testing helps producers provide a consistent potency in their products. Irregular potency can affect the dosage and how the products affect your body or interact with other medications you might be taking.
What is cannabis testing?
Cannabis testing labs exist in each cannabis market across the country. They are responsible for quality assurance testing and verifying the potency of all cannabis products. Namely, the THC and CBD percentages and the terpenes listed on the packaging of cannabis products are laboratory testing results.
The lab test results are referred to as a certificate of analysis. In quality assurance, they are proof that a product passes the requirements for safe human consumption. These requirements are set by a state’s cannabis board and can differ from state to state as laws for each state are specific. Therefore the minimum standards for which everything your cannabis product has needs to be tested.
What is being tested in cannabis labs?
Production agencies should run Multiple tests on cannabis and all the by-products that derive from it. Typically cannabis testing includes cannabinoids, terpenes, and foreign material that could be dangerous to consumers, like pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, microbial impurities, moisture content, and water activity. It also tests for substances that can be left behind from processing, like chemicals and solvents used in the extraction process.
Ideally, every cannabis company would test each product and batch they produce. Unfortunately, because of the high cost of laboratory analysis, cannabis companies often operate at their state’s bare minimum. In addition, because regulations are still being established, each state’s minimum is different. (For example, Washington state isn’t required to test for pesticides, although pesticides can be extremely harmful to humans.)
Why is testing necessary?
Human Safety
Of course, the most important reason for cannabis testing is human safety. Cannabis plants are extremely absorbent during their cultivation and tend to absorb everything they’ve been exposed to; this can be positive like nutrients or dangerous like in the case of heavy metals and pesticides.
Even if you buy from an environmentally conscious farm, it’s possible that pesticides and heavy metals can find their way into a greenhouse from a neighboring farm. This is precisely why cannabis products are now tested for any materials that can remain present in the final flower. In addition, state regulatory agencies have started establishing maximum quantity limits for residual solvents, pesticides and heavy metals, even dangerous microbes and mycotoxins from certified labs.
The use of some dangerous chemicals such as fungicides, pesticides, and plant growth regulators on cannabis has been documented. These residual chemicals create potentially hazardous safety issues for patients when consumed—especially those that already have auto-immune diseases or compromised immune systems, allergies, and asthma. However, mold and fungal contaminants can harm anyone who consumes medical cannabis. Laboratory testing can ensure that the cannabis products you’re consuming are safe, benefiting patients and manufacturers.
Cannabis Potency
Medical cannabis is used to treat a variety of medical conditions. Various terpene and cannabinoids combine to have different effects on the body. For example, some combinations might alleviate nausea, while others might treat anxiety, while others still can be used as an anti-inflammatory. Testing cannabis products is the only way to decipher the cannabinoid makeup and the terpene profile. These two variables are the most important factors to consider when choosing a cannabis product for effect as they are the determining factors in the experience you will have.
Cannabis is so easily influenced by the environment in which it grows a plant grown in one part of the world might appear identical to the same strain of plant grown elsewhere. Yet, lab testing can reveal that they can contain different amounts of cannabinoids and terpenes, which can completely change your experience. Cannabis testing labs use specialized testing equipment to determine the exact chemical makeup. Over time, this testing helps companies ensure the specific properties of their products to establish a consistent user experience that is safe and effective.
Brand Consistency
Lab testing is essential to producers and processors, but also consumers. When companies maintain a consistent testing history with a lab that can give you an accurate assessment of your products in their various stages of development, it improves product development, predictable potency, and production systems. It also helps to strengthen a company’s brand when customers can rely on safe, predictable results, and they are more likely to reach for your product.
Why should I choose LUX Diagnostics for my cannabis testing?
The answer is simple: Speed, Quality & Service. We are an agile lab that has invested heavily in equipment, software, a nationwide courier network, and processes to enable our personnel to deliver results quickly for our clients. At the same time, we emphasize ensuring we have every lab test that matters to you with the highest quality results because, without quality, speed is just a number. With LUX, you can expect your results to be back quickly and accurately.
We want to be your partner and not just your lab. Your success is our success, so let’s grow your business together.