Third-Party Testing: A Deeper Look at the Main Tests

Every other day, new cannabis products are hitting the market as the demand soars, but the quality of some of them is poor. The biggest challenge is how to differentiate between the good and the poor quality products when placing orders for your store. The most effective method of determining high-quality hemp products is subjecting them to third party laboratory testing. In this post, we will tell you the four main types of tests that are done in third party laboratories.

Potency Test

A potency test, also known as a cannabinoid profile test, involves testing the cannabinoids present in a hemp product. This test is used to check whether the components indicated in the packaging is correct. For example, if the information on the packaging indicates that the product has a specific amount of CBD and is free of THC, the potency test will be able to establish that.

Good potency test should be able to establish the presence and quantities of the top 20 cannabinoids, including CBD, THCA, Δ-9 THC, CBC, THCV, Δ-8 THC, CBN, and CBDV.

Organic Solvents

One of the common methods of extracting cannabinoids from a hemp product is using organic solvents, such as acetone and ethanol. However, there is a danger of some solvents being left in the cannabis product. To address the problem, some manufacturers are now adopting more advanced technologies, such as the supercritical COC.

Note, you will only need to test organic solves if the process of extraction involved using organic solvents.

Pesticides

Another important test done by third-party laboratories is testing for the presence of pesticides. Notably, most cannabis farms use pesticides to help enhance the growth of the crops and reduce the damage caused by insects. Most pesticides have damaging effects on the human body if they get into the human body. Here are some common insecticides that are checked in the laboratories.

• Cyfluthrin: This is a common ingredient used in most insecticides. But if it is present in any cannabis product and gets into the human body, there is a danger of suffering from problems such as severe migraines, vomiting, and worsening of Asthma.

• Daminozide: This is another common ingredient that is found in pesticides, particularly those grown in greenhouses. If it gets into the human body, Daminozide can cause cancer.

Bio-Contaminants

Bio-contaminants are natural pathogens such as bacterial, molds, and fungi that mainly get into hemp products when still on the farm. However, some of them can still get into the product during processing. If these contaminants get into the cannabis product user, there is a danger of severe allergic reactions.

The selected third party laboratory tests your samples using technologies such as High-liquid Performance Chromatography (HPLC) and Mass Spectronomy (MS) test to determine the presence and quantity of different components. Note that if the tests find bio-contaminants, organic solvents, and heavy metals in levels higher than the allowed levels, you should not stock them. Instead, go for high-quality products, which are not harmful to your clients.

Third Party Lab Testing: Things You Probably Did Not Know

Are you a new trader or have been in operation for some time in the cannabis market? If your answer is “yes”, you need to appreciate that success in the industry is largely dependent on the quality of the cannabis products you sell. However, stocking only high-quality cannabis products such as CBD tinctures is a challenge because some suppliers sell low-quality products. The only way to establish if your supplier has high-quality cannabis products is subjecting them to third party testing.

What is 3^rd-Party Laboratory Testing?

Third-party laboratory testing is an independent analysis of cannabis products to determine what they contain. It is done by independent laboratories that are not affiliated with any party in the cannabis product supply chain. This means that they do not have any interest in the success of any party, such as a manufacturer or supplier, and will give the results of their analysis as they are.

Things that You Probably Did Not Know About 3^rd Party Laboratory Testing

• You Can Use Third Party Lab Testing to Know the Best Suppliers

As the cannabis market continues to grow, some of the manufacturers and suppliers have joined it with the intention of raking higher profit as opposed to delivering value to customers. Such dealers supply low-quality cannabis products that are likely to disappoint your clients. But using third-party laboratory testing allows you to see through these parties, allowing you to only work with the committed ones.

• Though Not a Requirement in Law, it is the Best Way of Picking the Best Cannabis Products

When the US Farm Bill amendments of 2018 were passed into law, the primary thing was allowing the open trading of cannabis products. Although it did not make it mandatory for all traders to subject their products to third-party lab testing, it has turned out to be the best method of determining high-quality products.

• You can Use 3^rd Lab Testing to Know and Only Stock the Right Products

Although the market for cannabis products was opened for all, the products being released for sale are still tied to other requirements, especially those listed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the US Farm Bill, the cannabis products that you sell should have no more than 0.3% THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid in a hemp product). FDA further requires the product to contain no harmful components, such as bio-contaminants, heavy metals, and pesticides.

By subjecting your products to 3^rd-party lab testing, you can easily establish whether they meet the legal threshold for sale in the market. If they do not, stocking them could land you a lot of trouble with the law. So, check for the best product.

Third-party laboratory testing is the best way to know which products, manufacturers, and suppliers that should deal with. It gives insight into the entire supply chain so that you can avoid getting into conflict with the law. To get the right results and fast tests for your cannabis products, ensure to only work with the best third-party laboratories.

3^rd Party Laboratory Testing: Your Gateway to Stocking High Quality Products

For years, cannabis was a regulated product, and its trade restricted from open sale in the market. However, the 2018 Farm Bill amendments opened the lid, allowing every interested party to venture into the niche and become part of the growing industry. So, if you are new in the hemp industry, the growing demand has set the stage for growth and success. To attain this growth, the most important thing is having the right party laboratory tests done on your cannabis products. In this port, we will demonstrate how the tests hold the key to your success.

The Challenge of Picking the Best CannabisProducts

To reach maximum growth and the anticipated success, you need a couple of things, including manufacturers, suppliers, and third party laboratories. The manufacturer is the primary source of your products. Some of them have large hemp farms, while others contract individual farmers. Although a few manufacturers take their cannabis products to the market, most of them deal with suppliers who further work with individual traders.

The main issue with manufacturers and suppliers is that some of them do not focus on quality. Further, they print false information that could trick you into stocking poor quality cannabis products, thing that they are okay. For example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised the red flag about some cannabis products, pointing that a number of them have lower quantities of CBD than advertised. To address the problem, you need third party laboratory testing.

How Third-Party Laboratory Testing Helps You to Grow

Third party laboratories are independent organizations that help to test the components of a cannabis product. Using advanced technologies such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), they separate the different components, allowing you to know whether the information presented by the supplier is correct. Here are other reasons showing why third part laboratory testing is your gateway to success.

• The Laboratory Tests Allow You to Stock the Highest Quality Hemp Products

By subjecting your products to third party lab testing, you are able to pick the high-quality ones. This will give you the satisfaction that you are giving clients the best products to help them with the therapeutic goals. For example, if a client wants to use CBD for migraines, he/she will be sure to get relief without worrying about getting high.

• You can Easily Identify the Best Suppliers to Work With

As we mentioned earlier, the manufacturers and suppliers are crucial parts of the cannabis supply chain. By subjecting the products they supply you to third party laboratory testing, it becomes easy to identify the producer who sells products with the right information and work with him.

• Working without Worrying of Stocking Substandard Cannabis Products

Like other industries, selling cannabis products is regulated by different laws and must strictly follow the guidelines issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For example, the Farm Bill requires all cannabis products to have no more than 0.3% of THC. By using third party laboratory testing, it is easy only to select the products that have THC within the recommended levels and no harmful components such as pesticides and heavy metals.

Third party laboratory testing is like a litmus test that allows you to know what products to stock, and who to work with in the cannabis industry. Make sure to only identify and use the leading third party laboratories for correct and fast results.

Third Party Laboratories: Special Indicators to Help You Identify the Best

When clients comes to your cannabis store, they want to get high quality product for specific therapeutic benefits, such as help with migraine or anxiety. As a trader, your goal is to ensure that these clients get the satisfaction they want. To deliver this satisfaction, you need to use the services of third party laboratories.

A third-party laboratory is an independent organization that tests products, including cannabis products, to determine their components. This process is very important because a significant number of suppliers and manufacturers give wrong information about their products. The laboratories allow you to determine the cannabinoid profile and further indicate whether the product contains harmful products such as heavy metals. In this post, we will tell you some useful indicators that you can use to know a good third party laboratory.

Positive Feedback from Past Clients

One of the best ways of knowing a great organization is looking at what past clients had to say after using the services of the third party laboratory of interest. By looking at the customer feedback, it implies that they will have tested the services for you. If they were satisfied with the services, you could also expect to get similar satisfaction. However, you should also carry your own evaluations to determine if the independent laboratory is also okay for testing your cannabis products.

Total Independence: No Association to Any Party in the Hemp Industry

As the hemp market continues growing, traders are using all sorts of tricks to gain a bigger market share. When it comes to third party laboratory testing, you should only go for the one that is completely independent. This means that the laboratory is not affiliated to any party in the cannabis supply chain, and it will give the test results as they are without bias.

Understanding of the Hemp Industry

Although the hemp industry is pretty new, the best laboratory should have a management that understands its history and all the requirements. This is very important, especially for new traders who are unsure of the different components that should be tested for their products. For example, many traders think that the only thing that should be tested is the cannabinoid profile. While this is pretty important, a good independent laboratory will tell you that it is crucial also to check the presence of heavy metals and bio-contaminants.

Ability to Test All the Components

When you pick a third party laboratory to test your cannabis products, it will be more convenient and cheap too to deal with it. Therefore, you should look for a laboratory that is capable of running all the tests that you need. Here are some of the tests that you should target:

• Cannabinoid profile.
• Organic solvents.
• Bio-contaminants.
• Heavy metals.

When looking for a third party laboratory, it is prudent to ensure you only work with the best. This is the laboratory that understands the industry well, has no affiliation to any party in the supply chain, and can run the tests pretty fast.

Questions about Third-Party Lab Testing: Here are the Answers

For most traders in the hemp industry, the answer to their success points at one thing: third party laboratory testing. Because it involves an additional cost to get your products tested, having some questions about the tests is pretty okay. In this post, we will answer the common questions you might have about third-party laboratories.

1.   Between the Retailer and Supplier, who should Do Third-Party Laboratory Tests?

This is a common concern that most retailers have about lab testing. While it is true that the supplier should always test and ensure that the cannabis products presented to retailers are of high-quality, those in the hemp industry have not always followed this principle. Indeed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already highlighted the issue, indicating that some of the cannabis products in the market have incorrect information in their packaging. This implies that you should no longer trust any supplier before subjecting his/her supplies to third party laboratory testing.

2.   How Do I know that the Laboratory I Contract is Will Give the Right Results?

The main reason why third party laboratories are referred to as “independent” is that they do not have any affiliation with parties in the cannabis supply chain. Therefore, their sole task is testing the samples that clients present, determine the content, and give the results as they are. Therefore, you should not worry that the results will be biased.

3.   Apart from Knowing the Right Products, How Else can I use the Report?

In addition to determining the cannabinoid profile, there are so many other ways you can use the reports from third party laboratory testing. Here are some of them:

• Determining the good suppliers and manufacturers. These are the dealers who supply high-quality hemp products. Also, their labelling should be correct to make it easy for your buyers to pick the right products.
• Use the reports to gain a competitive advantage over your competitors. As the cannabis market continues growing, buyers are now looking for the retailers that they can trust. Therefore, you can use the report from third party laboratories to demonstrate that your products are of the highest possible quality. This way, more buyers will want to be associated with you.

4.   What Specific Tests are Done by Third-Party Laboratories?

When you reach to a selected third party laboratory, they only test what you want. Most traders going for third party laboratory testing ask for cannabinoid profile testing, which tests the presence of different phytocannabinoids that are found in a hemp product. Some of these include CBG (Cannabigerol), CBC (Cannabichromene), CBGV (Cannabigerivarin), and THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin). Notably, this test also checks the presence and quantities of THC (Δ⁹–tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive component in a cannabinoid plant. According to the Farm Bill amendments of 2018, the level of THC in any cannabis product should not exceed 0.3%. Other components that a third party laboratory can test include:

• Bio-contaminants.
• Heavy metals.
• Organic solvents.

In the cannabis industry, everything revolves around quality and compliance with the law.  While the law is still relatively new and has many loopholes that allow poor quality products to somehow enter into the market, you need to ensure that your clients get the best. This is why you should work with third-party laboratories to identify the best products that your clients can rely on.