Today, cannabis products traders have resorted to third party laboratories to test their products for assurance that they are stocking the right products for their clients. The need for additional testing for hemp products has been prompted by the large number of poor quality cannabis products in the market. Therefore, testing helps to demonstrate that the products are of the right quality. But one question keeps lingering in the minds of traders in the hemp industry: “Is third party testing mandatory?”
How Do Third Party Laboratories Work?
Hemp testing involves subjecting a cannabis product sample to a third party laboratory for further testing to establish the cannabinoid profile. The goal of testing the samples is to confirm that it contains the right content and the information provided on the packaging is correct. The process works in three main steps:
- You order a hemp product from a supplier/ manufacturer: This is the first step in the process because you need to have the sample to be tested. The best method is ordering a few cannabis products and subjecting them to further testing before purchasing large consignments to stock in your store.
- Pick a sample from that batch and take it to a hemp testing laboratory: To now if the hemp products from a specific supplier is okay, you do not need to take the entire batch for testing. Instead, you should only pick one or two samples to serve as a representative of the product.
- The laboratory tests the sample and gives the results: Third party laboratories pick the samples and use the latest technologies such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to separate the components and establish their quantities. Then, they finally give the cannabinoid profile so that you can easily know which cannabinoids are present in the product and in what proportions.
What Does the Law Saw about Hemp Testing?
When the Farm Bill amendments of 2018 were passed into law, they did not make third party laboratory testing mandatory. What the Farm Bill requires is that all hemp products must not have more than 0.3% of THC, the psychotic cannabinoid in a cannabis plant. But the products are also subject to other legislation such as FDA that requires them to be free from other contaminants. This is why you need to subject samples of your products for further testing.
Why You Should Subject Your Hemp Products to Third Party Testing
Although not mandatory, hemp testing has been demonstrated to come with a lot of benefits to traders. The main advantage is knowing that you are stocking products that will help your clients get the results they want. Indeed, there is no greater satisfaction than getting a client coming back and saying, “Thank you for the best cannabis product.” Other benefits of using third party laboratory testing include:
- Your business will stand out because clients prefer high-quality products.
- You are sure of operating on the right of the law by not stocking with components, such as THC exceeding the allowed legal threshold.
- It becomes easy to identify the best suppliers and manufacturers.
Although hemp testing in third party laboratories is not mandatory, it is very important for success. It allows you to have the assurance that only the best products make it to your store.