What Types of Products Can ACS Laboratory Test?
ACS Laboratory tests psychoactive plants and extracts, including cannabis, hemp, mushrooms, and kratom. Formulas from these sources demand thorough analysis to prove they are compliant, effective, and safe to consume. ACS Laboratory uses award-winning testing methods and state-of-the-art equipment to ensure shelf-ready botanicals, concentrates, edibles, drinks, and topicals.
This article examines the types of products ACS Laboratory tests for and the most critical panels for quality and compliance.
Plants and Mushroom Testing
ACS Laboratory tests cannabis, hemp, and kratom plants and mushroom fruit products, including:
- Raw cannabis and hemp flower
- Pre-rolls
- Biomass
- Whole mushroom bodies (often referred to as “fruit”)
- Dried mushroom fruit
- Milled mushroom powders
- Kratom powder
Testing panels
Essential tests occur in pre- and post-harvest stages to verify plant health, purity, and potency include:
- Moisture content and water activity testing look for early signs of dangerous mold and bacteria caused by overwatering or ineffective curing.
- Mycotoxin testing looks for microbial contaminants that naturally occur in molds and fungi, prevalent in crops grown in warm, humid conditions.
- Pesticide testing checks for unsafe levels of chemicals used during cultivation.
- Heavy metals testing detects harmful contaminants like arsenic, lead, and mercury in soil.
- Potency testing measures compounds critical to a product’s strength and legality, such as THC in cannabis and hemp or psilocybin in mushrooms. Early hemp testing is necessary to comply with USDA testing rules for total THC potency.
- Early cannabis testing looks for additional compounds like terpene potency and flavonoid content, which significantly impact the aroma, flavor, and therapeutic qualities.
Hemp, Cannabis, Mushroom, and Kratom Extracts
Extracts refer to a preparation containing the active ingredient of a substance in concentrated form. In cannabis and hemp extracts, manufacturers can isolate specific cannabinoids to tailor the potency and effects profile. Mushroom and kratom extracts focus on ingredients noted for therapeutic benefits. Extract-based products include:
- Oils
- Tinctures
- Vapes
- Wax
- Budder
- Shatter
- Live resin
Potency testing in extracts provides trustworthy information about the product’s active ingredients, enabling consumers to dose and use the product safely for the desired effects.
- Cannabis testing and hemp panels with ACS Laboratory quantify prominent cannabinoids like THC and CBD, along with up to 30 additional ones, including popular minor cannabinoids like Delta-8, CBN, and HHC.
- Terpene profiling measures essential oils in cannabis and hemp extracts that impact the overall effects.
- Kratom testing focuses on mitragynine and 7 OH mitragynine levels, and ACS’s kratom panels measure eight principal kratom alkaloids.
- Psychedelic mushroom testing quantifies psilocybin and psilocin. ACS Laboratory’s Potency 10 test includes 10 additional tryptamines that influence the psychedelic experience.
- Amanita muscaria mushroom testing focuses on ibotenic acid and muscimol. ACS includes muscarine for a complete picture of the Amanita Mushroom’s safety profile.
- Psilocybin and psilocin are Schedule 1 substances, so their presence in Amanita and functional mushroom products will make them illegal in many jurisdictions. ACS Laboratory’s Negative Psilocybin Compliance test rules out the potential existence of these controlled substances in mushroom extracts.
ACS Laboratory also performs essential safety tests, such as:
- Contaminant screenings for heavy metals, pesticides, bacteria, and microorganisms, which can enter extracts via equipment and handling from pre-planting through post-production.
- Residual solvent testing, which looks for chemicals like butane, propane, and ethanol used during the extraction process.
Edibles and Beverages Testing
Edibles and beverages incorporate extracts from cannabis, hemp, mushrooms, and kratom into tasty final goods and drinks, such as:
- Gummies
- Chocolates and candies
- Baked goods like cookies and brownies
- Syrups
- Beverages like sodas, water, and energy drinks
- Tea and coffee
- Supplements and capsules
Edibles and beverages present unique challenges for accurate testing results. Measuring safety and potency in these products requires additional testing types, including:
- Beverage testing examines safety and stability in water-based drinks, which are highly susceptible to bacteria growth and pH imbalances.
- Homogeneity testing looks for consistent cannabinoid levels in edible servings for proper dosing, such as confirming each section of a chocolate bar has 5 mg of THC.
- Shelf life and stability testing examine odor, water activity, and active ingredients to establish expiration dates. These tests ensure edible products maintain their cannabinoid and terpene content, which can alter or degrade due to oxidation. They also help manufacturers optimize packaging and storage conditions.
- Safety testing examines microbiology (bacteria, algae, and fungi) and potential allergens.
Topicals Testing
Topicals that harness natural active ingredients like those found in cannabis, hemp, mushrooms, and kratom are one of the fastest-growing markets. Popular topical products include:
- Salves
- Balms
- Lotions
- Cosmetics
- Hair care products
- Transdermal patches
Potency testing measures active ingredients to ensure topicals are effective. For instance:
- Hemp panels can measure CBD and terpenes touted for calming and anti-aging effects in skincare products. They can also verify that hemp-based products, which pose risks for THC contamination, are USDA-compliant.
- Medical cannabis panels can verify THC and CBD content in patches and lotions targeted for location-specific pain relief.
- Functional mushroom panels can quantify essential alkaloids in skin and hair care products necessary for therapeutic benefits.
Safety testing in topical products is important for detecting:
- Pesticides, solvents, and heavy metals that can be dangerous through contact with the skin
- Microbial contaminants that can lead to health risks
Importance of Full Panel Testing
Full-panel testing is the best way to get a full story and complete safety profile for any raw flower, extract-based, edible, or topical product. With full-panel testing, brands can be confident their products are safe for consumers and meet all compliance standards for their respective markets, from Florida and other state-specific medical cannabis laws to national hemp guidelines and global mushroom and kratom sales.
For instance, performing potency tests will determine the main active ingredient concentrations and psychoactive profile for hemp, cannabis, mushroom, and kratom products. However, full panel tests offer many additional benefits:
- Analyzing contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, and bacteria paints a complete picture of the product’s quality and avoids financial losses and potential lawsuits from safety failures.
- Cannabis testing for additional cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids gives manufacturers vital information on best usage, allowing them to differentiate and market their products.
- Mushroom and kratom testing can avoid accidentally creating ineffective or potentially harmful and illegal products by measuring a comprehensive list of alkaloids.
The Bottom Line
ACS Laboratory’s comprehensive testing services cover the broadest range of cannabis, hemp, mushroom, and kratom products, from hemp biomass and dried mushroom fruit to tinctures, candies, and lotions. ACS’s testing techniques and processes are of the highest caliber in the industry, and its safety panels often exceed state, federal, and international compliance standards.
Brands wanting to publish results showing customers their products have been vetted by the industry's most trusted third-party laboratory can contact ACS today.
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