Questions and Answers to Common Questions about Third-Party Lab Testing

For most traders in the hemp industry, the answer to their success points at one thing: third party laboratory testing. Because it involves an additional cost to get your products tested, having some questions about the tests is pretty okay. In this post, we will answer the common questions that traders have about third-party lab testing.

1. Between the Retailer and Supplier, who should Do Third-Party Laboratory Tests?

This is a common concern that most retailers have about lab testing. While it is true that the supplier should always test and ensure that the cannabis products presented to retailers are of high-quality, those in the hemp industry have not always followed this principle. Indeed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already highlighted the issue, indicating that some of the cannabis products in the market have incorrect information on their packaging. This implies that you should no longer trust any supplier before subjecting his/her supplies to third party laboratory testing.

2. How Do I know that the Laboratory I Contract is Will Give the Right Results?

The main reason why third party laboratories are referred to as “independent” is that they do not have any affiliation with parties in the cannabis supply chain. Therefore, their sole task is testing the samples that clients present, determine the content, and give the results as they are. Therefore, you can trust their results.

3. Apart from Knowing the Right Products, How Else can I Use the 3^RD Party Lab Reports?

In addition to determining the cannabinoid profile, there are so many other ways you can use the reports from third party laboratory testing. Here are some of them:

• Determining the good suppliers and manufacturers. These are the dealers who supply high-quality hemp products. Also, their labelling should be correct to make it easy for your buyers to pick the right products.
• Use the reports to gain a competitive advantage in the market. As the cannabis market continues growing, buyers are now looking for the retailers they can trust. Therefore, you can use the reports from third party laboratories to demonstrate that your products are of high quality. This way, more buyers will want to be associated with you and not your competitor.

4. What Specific Tests are Done by Third-Party Laboratories?

When you reach to a third party laboratorylike SanteLabs, it only tests what you want. Most traders going for third party laboratory testing ask for potency test, which checks the presence of different phytocannabinoids that are found in a hemp product. Some examples include CBG (Cannabigerol), CBC (Cannabichromene), CBGV (Cannabigerivarin), and THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin). Notably, this test also checks the presence and quantities of THC(Δ⁹–tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive component in a cannabinoid plant. According to the Farm Bill amendments of 2018, the level of THC in any cannabis product should not exceed 0.3%. Other components that a third party laboratory can test include:

• Bio-contaminants.
• Heavy metals.
• Organic solvents.

In the cannabis industry, everything revolves around quality and compliance with the law.  While the law is still relatively new and has many loopholes that allow poor quality products to somehow enter into the market, you need to ensure that your clients only get the best. This is why you should work with third-party laboratories to identify the best products that your clients can trust and rely on.