Cannabis Testing

Would you like to know as a caregiver or a grower that your cannabis is free from pesticides, from harmful pathogens and what the potency is?

Or, as a patient, would you like to be sure that your dosage is correct, that nothing in your medicine could have harmful effects, make you sick or overpower a weak immune system?

This is rapidly becoming an area of concern for everyone involved in medicinal cannabis and it should be.

The FDA and USDA should be more involved in this instead of basically saying it's not under their jurisdiction or declaring it ineligible for their oversight.

Until then, responsible people can have their own testing done with private laboratories that specialize in cannabis testing.



butane-a solvent used

I have recently found such a laboratory and they offer a variety of tests, ranging from Residual Solvent Testing to Terpene Analysis. 




Residual Solvents are harmful solvents, impurities and other odorants, which can harm you over time.


These can be found in super concentrated cannabis, such as hemp oil or hash oil.


isopropyl alcohol-another solvent



This is due to the process of creating them, a solvent is used to extract the cannabinoids and terpenoids from the cannabis and then heat, vacuum or another method is used to get rid of any remaining solvent.



acetone-a solvent used









Terpene analysis can identify over 14 different terpenes, which are the smells in cannabis.


These contribute to far more than aroma, the different ratios and varieties of terpenes are usually what differentiates one strain of cannabis from another and contribute to the overall effect of cannabis.

Microbiological screening can identify any fungal contaminate, mildew or bacteria.

This has many benefits, preventing you from getting ill or having a serious food bourne illness and some funguses are dangerous to people with a weak immune system.This testing is also fast and can be completed in an hour.




Pesticide Residue testing can test cannabis for dozens of commonly used pesticides.




Potency testing is a full profile of the cannabis, with information on all of the different compounds-cannabinoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, glycoproteins, alkaloids and more. All of these compounds contribute to the medical benefits and can affect THC.

Soon there will be testing for genetic and strain verification.

As a patient, caregiver or grower, this knowledge can help you make informed decisions that can affect how you grow, what you grow, what dosage should be and what safe practices you need to have a safe medicine for the people you are helping.

For more information, please look at SC Laboratory's website.