Ensure Compliance and Quality with ACS Laboratory's Hemp Testing
Hemp testing with ACS Laboratory’s precise and comprehensive potency and safety panels ensures compliance with the strictest industry regulations and safety measures. It also assures customers that products are of the highest quality, instilling confidence in their brand choices and raising industry standards.
This article details the importance of hemp testing for all stakeholders, from hemp cultivators and extractors to manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. It also explains how ACS Laboratory takes hemp testing to the next level with sophisticated equipment, the most comprehensive National Hemp Panel available, customizable services, and fast turnaround times.
The Importance of Hemp Testing
Federal law requires hemp testing with a third-party laboratory to confirm that THC potency complies with regulatory limits. Additionally, various state laws require hemp product testing to ensure consumer safety and product quality.
Federal Compliance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says hemp must not exceed 0.3% total THC on dry weight analysis and has specific testing guidelines to verify THC levels. Hemp crops that exceed the 0.3% THC threshold must be remediated or destroyed.
State Testing Rules
In addition to federal hemp standards, growers and manufacturers must navigate complicated state testing regulations that vary from state to state. For instance, the Colorado Department of Agriculture introduced new rules for unfinished hemp flower, and Florida added contaminant requirements for smokable hemp products.
Reports indicate that large-scale product recalls are a common byproduct of the industry’s lack of standardized rules. Hemp testing at DEA-certified third-party labs helps producers navigate these dramatically differing regulations, especially regarding THC content and contaminants.
Plant Contamination Risks
Required or not, hemp testing is critical because plants are highly susceptible to cross-contamination.
Cannabis is a bioaccumulator, meaning it efficiently extracts nutrients from the soil and concentrates them in its stems and leaves. Unfortunately, this also applies to harmful compounds from the soil and chemicals used in the manufacturing process, like:
- Heavy metals, such as lead, copper, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury
- Residual solvents used during extraction, like butane, ethanol, propane, hexane, and acetone
- Pesticides
- Mold and mildew
Hemp testing early and throughout a crop’s growth cycle ensures that growers and manufacturers avoid penalties for violating laws. It also helps them correct potential errors before wasting time and money on a contaminated batch.
Product Contamination Risks
Secondary hemp products, such as ingestible, smokable, and topical formulas, can contain the same contaminants as the plant and may also become compromised during processing and extraction.
Worse, most states do not require finished goods testing or regulate the consumer hemp market. This reality leads to significantly diminished quality control across the U.S.
- A recent federal lawsuit showed that CBD products commonly failed laboratory testing for heavy metals, including copper, nickel, lead, and yeast and mold content.
- Study results indicate that total THC content is commonly misreported due to insufficient sample preparation and testing methods.
- In some cases, hemp products have been recalled for unsafe levels of delta-9 THC.
Manufacturing processes that introduce toxic biological and chemical agents can cause potentially dangerous side effects, including:
- Kidney failure
- Vomiting
- Low pressure
- Seizures
- Allergic and respiratory problems
Products with more psychoactive THC than reported due to inaccurate labeling can also harm consumers and medical patients, such as:
- Unintended and potentially adverse drug interactions
- Side effects like high blood pressure, anxiety, and paranoia
- Drug test failures that can affect current and future employment
Transparency
Transparency in hemp lab testing is crucial because it builds trust with consumers, regulators, and the broader market. It ensures that products are accurately labeled, free from harmful contaminants, and meet legal standards, which helps maintain the industry's integrity.
Transparency also allows consumers to make informed decisions about the safety and efficacy of the products they purchase, ultimately promoting accountability among manufacturers.
Brands that publish their products’ certificate of analysis (COA), or lab report, verifying the potency and purity are invaluable in fostering a culture of honesty and reliability in the hemp industry. ACS Laboratory provides COAs for all hemp products in English and Spanish.
How ACS Laboratory’s Hemp Testing Ensures Accuracy and Quality Control
ACS Laboratory is a leader in hemp testing services. It offers the most comprehensive and precise analytical testing services and has received industry awards to prove it.
Expertise and Equipment
ACS utilizes cutting-edge hemp testing technology and methods to ensure reliable results and compliance with industry standards.
- ACS is the largest state-of-the-art cannabis and hemp testing facility in the eastern United States
- It is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Accredited by A2LA #6787.01, proving its “commitment to quality, technical proficiency, and scientific rigor.”
- DEA-licensed (compliant with the new FDA Hemp Guidelines requiring labs to register with the DEA)
- ACS follows CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988) federal health assessment testing regulations.
- Its deep scientific team utilizes gold-standard protocols, including Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectometry and Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction technology to guarantee precision.
- ACS Laboratory has received 82 Emerald Badges (more awards than any other lab in the USA) for testing accuracy in pesticide screening, potency in hemp flower, hemp oil, gummies, and solutions, and detecting mold levels and moisture content.
Comprehensive Testing Services
Beyond federal testing mandates, ACS Laboratory developed a National Hemp Testing Panel so brands can sell finished products nationwide. Its compliance team researched the strictest state hemp programs and revised its testing panels to align. Its National Help Panel includes:
- Colorado and California’s pesticide requirements increasing the analyte count to 105.
- Pharmacopeia (USP) and state heavy metals guidelines, testing for 24 analytes.
- 55 residual solvents and 17 microorganisms.
Customizable Testing Packages
ACS offers growers and manufacturers an incredible range of hemp testing options pre- and post-harvest, allowing them to choose full panels or a la carte R&D options tailored to their specific operations and needs.
Hemp testing at ACS covers all stages, such as:
The Bottom Line
Hemp testing is essential for brands to deliver safe, high-quality products that can pass strict federal and state compliance tests. Rigorous hemp testing also reduces consumer health risks and the possibility of costly penalties and recalls for compliance failures. ACS Laboratory launched its National Hemp Testing Panel to drive the industry forward. Growers and brands looking to stay on top of safety and quality standards can contact ACS Laboratory today about full-panel and a la carte testing options for their hemp products.
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