According to a recent survey, nine in ten Americans support the legalization of marijuana. A few decades ago, cannabis was extremely taboo, commonly discussed as a hard drug.
Today, as more people have access to it, the conversation around cannabis has shifted. It is now used as a medicine for cancer patients, for patients with epilepsy, and for patients that experience chronic pain.
Of course, it is also used recreationally, but it is now known that cannabis is not as harmful as other Schedule I drugs.
Because cannabis is now so widely available, dispensaries are finding that testing cannabis is of the utmost importance. To learn more about cannabis testing, keep reading below.
Consumer Safety
There is a long chain of events that occur between growing cannabis and selling it as a retail product. During these various processes, there are many instances when contamination could occur.
There could be traces of pesticides and chemicals at unsafe levels. Heavy metals that are often found in soil could be absorbed by the roots, becoming concentrated in the plant.
There is natural moisture in cannabis, which is why monitoring your hemp water activity is so crucial. Too much moisture can cause the growth of microbes and bacteria.
All of these are potential risks for your customers, and cannabis product testing is the only way to ensure that your products are free of these contaminants.
Quality Control
You want your cannabis quality to be the highest it can be, and the only way to do so is through cannabis testing.
Customers want to know what product they are getting and how it will affect them. They should be able to expect the experience they will have with your product because they know the levels of everything inside.
Testing allows you to put numbers on your cannabis potency and characteristics. You will be able to state clearly the THC and CBD content, as well as any contamination content.
Meeting State Regulations
Since the legal status of cannabis varies from state to state, every state also has its own regulations you must follow. Most of them require that you send your products to state-accredited cannabis testing labs.
You’ll be required to test certain amounts of products in your cannabis.
These include:
- Cannabinoid potency
- Heavy metals
- Pesticides
- Moisture content
- Foreign materials
- Terpenes
- Microbial impurities
When you send your products to cannabis testing labs, they may also offer quality assurance services, allowing you to prevent state regulation issues in the future.
Testing Cannabis Is Essential
If you are planning on selling cannabis, you are also planning on testing cannabis. There is no other way to know the quality of the product you are selling, nor is there a way to tell that it is completely safe.
While the cost to test cannabis may seem like a negative aspect, just consider it a part of the growing process. Find your local testing lab to get started on your cannabis journey.
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