ACS Expands Capabilities to Become a Colorado State Certified Hemp Testing Laboratory
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At ACS Laboratory, we're thrilled to announce our status as a Colorado state-certified hemp testing facility. As of this writing, per the CDPHE website, we are also the only approved third-party laboratory capable of testing Colorado's entire scope of analytes. This includes cannabinoids, heavy metals, mycotoxins, microbiology, residual solvents, moisture content, and notably–102 pesticides.

Expanded Testing Capabilities

Before receiving the Colorado certification, we tested for 67 pesticides per Florida's rules, which have been the strictest to date. But once Colorado's phase-two testing regulations take effect in April 2022, the Western state will have the most comprehensive requirements in the country.

‍So, to meet Colorado's pending conditions, we immediately took proactive steps to expand our pesticide program radically–nearly doubling its size.  Reflecting our commitment to quality results, we proved that we could accurately test hemp and cannabis plants, extracts, and edibles for paraquat, diquat, and glyphosate, along with 102 pesticides using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry LC/MS/MS.

‍"Pesticides used in cannabis cultivation can cause serious health issues, and we want to ensure that plants or products are compliant and safe for all who use them," said Roger Brown, President, and founder of ACS Laboratory. "We are very pleased to be named a Colorado State Certified Hemp Testing Lab and are fully prepared for the CDPHE's Industrial Hemp Pesticide Testing regulations."

Passing Colorado's Comprehensive Hemp Laboratory Inspection

On a pre-scheduled date, Colorado representatives visited our Tampa facility, the largest hemp and cannabis testing center in the eastern United States. Beyond meeting the state’s minimum requirements, we had to prove our facility, staff, and systems were up to par through a rigorous in-person inspection. The inspectors toured the laboratory to ensure our testing instruments, machinery, procedures, and methodology met their quality standards.

Regulators also reviewed our operations, including sanitization and cross-contamination prevention methods. This full-day event resulted in a prompt approval of our laboratory as a Colorado Certified Hemp Testing site. It also validated our position as a top-tier, medical-grade facility nationwide.

Welcoming a Future of Enhanced Testing Quality

As an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited, DEA licensed, and CLIA licensed facility, we've been accurately testing hemp across the country since 2019. Today, we welcome more states like Florida and Colorado to continue raising the bar on quality standards by requiring facilities to become certified before testing consumer products. Such programs will ensure that safety is always paramount, allowing consumers to trust brands to provide them with beneficial plant-based innovations.