Partner with ACS Laboratory: Leading Cannabis Testing Laboratory
Licensed medical marijuana treatment centers (MMTCs) must meet comprehensive compliance requirements before they can dispense medical cannabis in Florida, making cannabis testing laboratories critical to success. ACS Laboratory leads the nation in cannabis testing, offering advanced methods, transparent reporting, and quick turnarounds that can eliminate the struggles MMTCs face.
This article investigates the need for a reliable cannabis testing laboratory and explains how ACS Laboratory offers a trustworthy partner for Florida MMTCs.
The Critical Need for Reliable Lab Testing
MMTCs in Florida need reliable cannabis testing laboratories for regulatory compliance and to ensure patient safety through product quality and accurate dosing.
Regulatory compliance
Certified lab testing is more than a best practice. Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana (OMMU) requires results from cannabis testing laboratories before MMTCs can legally sell cannabis products to patients. According to OMMU regulations:
- Cannabis testing laboratories must collect and test a random and representative sample from every retail batch.
- All final products must pass regulatory compliance testing before being transported by an MMTC to a dispensing facility and dispensed to a qualified patient or caregiver.
Compliance with these regulations helps MMTCs avoid costly legal penalties, fines, and potential product recalls.
Ensuring consumer safety
Accurate lab testing is the first defense against potential contaminants that can harm medical patients and other consumers. The OMMU requires that MMTCs complete testing to verify final products are either free of these contaminants or contain them within state-allowed percentages, including:
- Pesticides
- Heavy metals
- Residual solvents, such as butane, propane, and ethanol
- Microorganisms, such as mold, bacteria and yeast
Reliable cannabis testing laboratories can detect and quantify these contaminants to ensure that products meet OMMU safety standards.
Potency and dosing accuracy
Labels with inaccurate cannabinoid potency are another OMMU concern for consumer safety and product reliability. Medical patients rely on precise and consistent cannabis dosing to manage their symptoms effectively without adverse effects. However, an investigation on labeling accuracy uncovered that cannabinoid content (THC and CBD) was under-labeled in 25% and over-labeled in 60% of products tested.
- Over-labeling can lead patients to use products that will not provide them with the expected medical benefit.
- Under-labeling poses a safety risk from unexpected impairment or overdose, which can cause adverse effects like heightened anxiety, paranoia, and high blood pressure.
The OMMU requires that MMTCs work with certified cannabis testing laboratories to verify the levels of major cannabinoids such as THC and CBD. This testing allows for accurate labeling, which limits the risks of patients compromising their health.
Florida health officials also set daily limits on the THC amount that doctors can legally prescribe to patients. Accurate testing allows healthcare providers to make informed decisions about dosage and treatment plans. It also avoids product recalls due to inaccurate THC levels.
Accurate Medical Cannabis Testing with ACS Laboratory
ACS Laboratory leads the nation in accurate cannabis testing results for potency and purity, receiving 82 Emerald Badges—more than any other lab in the USA. ACS Laboratory’s advanced testing technologies are of the highest caliber in the industry, including:
- A 20,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, the largest in the eastern United States.
- ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Accredited by A2LA #6787.01 for the ability and competence to provide testing and calibration results.
- Following CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988) regulations for health assessment testing and human trials.
- Medical-grade instruments, including High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS) that can quantify measurements down to 0.001% for cannabinoids (1/1000th), and we test at even lower levels to quantify in parts per billion. 1 ppb equals 0.000000001 or 0.000001 mg.
These cutting-edge equipment and protocols set ACS apart from other cannabis testing laboratories. They provide results that MMTCs can depend on, ensuring the highest levels of product quality and consistency that often exceed state compliance and safety standards.
ACS Laboratory: A Florida-Focused Partner
ACS Laboratory’s extensive safety panels and detailed understanding of Florida’s medical cannabis industry make it uniquely qualified to address the everyday struggles that MMTCs face when seeking reliable testing in the state. From specific compliance requirements for testing and reporting to integration with tracking software, ACS can help MMTCs navigate regulations and operate more efficiently.
Expertise in Florida’s potency and contaminant requirements
ACS remains current with Florida’s guidelines for cannabis testing laboratories, with thorough expertise in the processes and regulations surrounding cannabinoid potency and contaminants, including:
- Potency testing that identifies the exact concentrations of THC, CBD, and nine other cannabinoids mandated for MMTCs by Florida law. Enhanced testing options from ACS cover up to 32 cannabinoids, the most of any cannabis testing laboratories in the state.
- Contaminant testing for 68 pesticides and 5 mycotoxins as Florida law requires using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS/LCMS).
- Performing a homogeneity analysis when testing edibles using multiple products and pieces to ensure consistent and proper dosing is uniform throughout the product
Accurate and transparent reporting
The OMMU requires cannabis testing laboratories to generate a Certificate of Analysis (COA) that validates the completion of all the necessary potency and quality tests. This report provides a paper trail of product information and confirms a product’s contents match its label’s claims. ACS supplies this official document in English and Spanish, with linked QR codes for product packaging that consumers and regulatory authorities can scan and access easily.
Quick testing results
Fast turnaround times ensure test results arrive quickly to keep products moving through the supply chain. ACS provides a swift turnaround time of just three to five days. It also has a fleet of couriers available for sample pickups and knowledgeable customer support teams available by phone.
Integration with seed-to-sale tracking software
State regulators in several states now demand specific systems to monitor a cannabis product’s entire life cycle from seed to sale. Florida recently chose Biotrack ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) as its solution. BioTrack is a powerful seed-to-sale traceability system that complies with Florida’s new requirements for MMTC tracking software. ACS is one of the first cannabis testing laboratories to fully integrate with BioTrack, helping MMTC clients get comfortable with the software and utilize its full capabilities.
The Bottom Line
Partnering with ACS Laboratory ensures that Florida MMTCs meet the highest compliance, safety, and accuracy standards in cannabis testing. ACS's advanced technology, expertise in Florida regulations, and quick turnaround times make it the ideal partner for reliable and transparent solutions.
MMTCs looking to optimize efficiency while prioritizing pure and potent medical cannabis products can contact ACS Laboratory today to start testing or email info@acslab.com.
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