Cannabis product testing is a form of

product testing File:Consumer Reports - product testing - electric light longevity and brightness testing.tif, Testing electric light longevity and brightness testing File:Consumer Reports - product testing - television testing laboratory.tif, Television testin ...

analyzes the quality of

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternativel ...

extracts, edibles, and

THC Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis and one of at least 113 total cannabinoids identified on the plant. Although the chemical formula for THC (C21H30O2) describes multiple isomers, the term ''THC'' ...

and CBD levels in an emergent consumer market eager to sell adult use products.

Analytical chemistry Analytical chemistry studies and uses instruments and methods to separate, identify, and quantify matter. In practice, separation, identification or quantification may constitute the entire analysis or be combined with another method. Separati ...

and

microbiology Microbiology () is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, ...

laboratories are important entities in consumer protection. These labs not only determine the condition and viability of

cannabinoid Cannabinoids () are several structural classes of compounds found in the cannabis plant primarily and most animal organisms (although insects lack such receptors) or as synthetic compounds. The most notable cannabinoid is the phytocannabinoid tet ...

water content Water content or moisture content is the quantity of water contained in a material, such as soil (called soil moisture), rock, ceramics, crops, or wood. Water content is used in a wide range of scientific and technical areas, and is expressed as ...

heavy metals upright=1.2, Crystals of lead.html" ;"title="osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead Heavy metals are generally defined as metals with relatively high density, densities, atomi ...

, pesticides,

terpene Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n > 1. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predominantly by plants, particularly conifers. Terpenes ar ...

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to consti ...

, but also the presence of mold,

mycotoxins A mycotoxin (from the Greek μύκης , "fungus" and τοξίνη , "toxin") is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by organisms of kingdom Fungi and is capable of causing disease and death in both humans and other animals. The term 'mycotoxin' ...

, and

solvent A solvent (s) (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for ...

s. These laboratories emerged when advocates of cannabis testing raised concerns about potential contaminants. The popularity of cannabis and cannabinoid products continues to escalate following the legalization of cannabinoid products in the United States since 2012.

Since 2012, ten states (Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, California, Nevada, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and, in November 2018, by popular referendum, Michigan) and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis consumption and, except for the District of Columbia and Vermont, acted to implement legislation that also legalizes commercial production. By 2016, 23 states had legalized medical cannabis. Additionally, a number of states, as far back as the 1960s, have decriminalized the possession of small quantities of cannabis for personal use.

By 2020, the majority of the U.S. population can purchase cannabis and cannabinoid products as easily as alcohol. But exposure to contaminants is often overlooked. Limited regulation threatens product safety in the "

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...

" era of a fast-growing cannabis industry. Analytical chemistry and microbiology testing that protects

consumer safety Consumer protection is the practice of safeguarding buyers of goods and services, and the public, against unfair practices in the marketplace. Consumer protection measures are often established by law. Such laws are intended to prevent business ...

and prevents unfair practices becomes an added cost that most startups avoid due to the lack of oversight of recreational and medicinal cannabis in the United States. Advanced analytical testing is critical given trade-offs between safety and quality in cannabinoid therapeutics and nutraceuticals. Product or compliance testing determines the chemical makeup and overall quality of the formulation before the sale of products.

History

Colorado

In 2015, the first government standards for testing were proposed in Colorado's legislature, when potency and microbial testing became mandatory in the state. Colorado cannabis testing laboratories, such as AgriScience Labs, are regulated by the

Colorado Department of Revenue The Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) is a state agency in Colorado. The department collects most types of taxes and issues state identification cards and driver licenses and also enforces Colorado laws regarding gaming, liquor, tobacco, racing ...

's Marijuana Enforcement Division and the

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is the principal department of the Colorado state government responsible for public health and environmental regulation. History In 1876, the Territorial Board of Health was created ...

. Over the next several years, other tests became mandatory, such as residual solvent analysis and pesticides.

Other states

Cannabis testing is also required in other states, such as California, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Nevada. Washington State added routine pesticide testing and random or investigation-driven heavy metal testing, formerly required only for medical cannabis, to its testing suite for all cannabis on March 2, 2022.

Standards

Calls have been made to unify

cannabis industry The cannabis industry is composed of legal cultivators and producers, consumers, independent industrial standards bodies, ancillary products and services, regulators and researchers concerning cannabis and its industrial derivative, hemp. The can ...

standards with existing testing organizations such as

ASTM International ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials, is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, a ...

(

ASTM D37 ASTM International's Committee on Cannabis (D37) began developing technical standards for cannabis stakeholders in 2017. The committee was formed after a January conference hosted by American Public Health Association, an organizational meeting on ...

) or

International Standards Organization The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ) is an international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries. Membership requirements are given in Ar ...

(

ISO/IEC 17025 ISO/IEC 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories is the main ISO/ IEC standard used by testing and calibration laboratories. In most countries, ISO/IEC 17025 is the standard for which most labs must ...

References

Sources