How to Choose a Cannabis Testing Lab in New Jersey
As New Jersey's legal cannabis industry prepares to come online, there will be many businesses looking for cannabis laboratory testing services. Not only is lab testing a regulatory imperative, it's also a mark of quality – good products can use test results to showcase quality and build trust with a new and growing consumer base.
But not all laboratories are created equal: When it comes to cannabis testing, choosing the right lab is critical. The information yielded from testing needs to be above reproach before that product reaches shelves. So, how can you be sure you've hired the right analytical lab for the job?
6 things to look for in a cannabis testing laboratory
Lab testing is a complex, scientific process, so how can you be sure the lab you are working with really knows what it's doing? Luckily, there are many ways to tell if a cannabis lab is up for the job. All it takes is a little bit of homework and communication.
ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation
The first thing you should look for in a cannabis testing lab is an ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation. Labs that attain this certification have adhered to the general requirements for testing and calibration laboratories of all types (not just cannabis) set out under the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) guidelines of the same name.
To qualify for accreditation, labs must meet a long list of checks, which cover a wide range of lab operations. Clauses 4 through 7 of the ISO 17025 cover general, structural, resource, process requirements that labs must meet to be accredited. These range from the organizational hierarchy of the laboratory staff to the transportation and handling of samples.
Laboratories must meet each of these exacting standards to attain accreditation, and they must adhere to them to hold onto these credentials as well. So, when you partner with an ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited laboratory, you know going in that the lab has met the highest standards set by the international authority on the subject.
2. Third party proficiency testing
In addition to the ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation, there are third party proficiency tests that can demonstrate a lab's accuracy and consistency of test results. Proficiency testing involves labs receiving and testing controlled reference samples, or “standards”, which have already been tested by an ISO/IEC 17043 accredited proficiency testing provider. Another way proficiency testing can be performed is for identical samples to go to multiple different testing laboratories in a “round-robin” format. With either approach, the results of the lab tests are compared against one another to establish a baseline margin of error based on the collective results. If any lab’s results fall outside that margin of error, it is a signal that the lab might have procedural or methodology issues to rectify.
In order to maintain ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation, cannabis testing laboratories must perform proficiency testing on an ongoing basis. State programs could require round-robin proficiency testing among laboratories within that state to satisfy this requirement. For states, such as New Jersey, that do have their own state-developed cannabis testing laboratory, having the state lab involved in the round-robin proficiency tests would offer additional insights and help regulators to validate third party labs. Any underperforming labs could then be required to undergo further testing, inspection, or methodological revisions, for example. Proficiency testing helps guarantee the accuracy of lab testing results required by law; without them, faulty data could otherwise be published as fact unbeknownst to brands and consumers alike.
3. Quick sample pick up
Time is money, so if a lab leaves you waiting around with cannabis products ready to be tested, that’s valuable time ticking away. Furthermore, a delay in lab sampling and transportation back to the lab could jeopardize the precision of testing results; many cannabis products begin to degrade immediately after harvest, and that degradation can get worse if the product is not kept in ideal conditions. To obtain accurate test results, particularly for phytocannabinoid and terpene content, samples must be taken in a timely manner and be kept as fresh as possible during and after transport to the lab.
The best cannabis testing labs promptly come onsite to sample and securely transport your samples, adhere to proper handling procedures in order to maintain original product constitution, and store them in the proper environment until test time. True Labs for Cannabis follows the best-in-industry standards for sampling, transportation, handling and storage.
4. Fast turnaround times for COAs (24 to 48 hours)
Sometimes you need test results fast, whether to ensure regulatory compliance, check for product quality throughout the manufacturing process, confirm whether your cultivation facility has been contaminated, or get products out to the market and consumers faster. In those times, you need a trusted cannabis lab to get you accurate results promptly. Just as efficiency is key when it comes to picking up samples, the best labs can deliver results in a time crunch. When needed, the lab you choose should be able to deliver the results of your cannabis tests between 24 and 72 hours, depending on the tests ordered.
5. Excellent customer service and support
Like any other business, cannabis testing labs work for you. Customer service should be accessible, knowledgeable, and helpful. Lab testing can be a complex topic for the uninitiated, which is an even bigger reason customer support is essential. From assistance in interpreting test results and certificates of analysis (COAs) to helping you keep tabs on the status of your samples, the best cannabis labs are nothing short of completely transparent and proactively communicative.
6. Easy to contact lab management
There are many instances, especially in a longstanding relationship, where a direct line to lab management is important to a client. Even when customer support is great, sometimes things require a manager to sort out. Work with a lab where the management is accessible, and you know how to get in touch with them, so your most urgent needs are addressed within a reasonable time.
True Labs for Cannabis: the best a New Jersey analytical laboratory can offer
At True Labs for Cannabis (TLC), our New Jersey-based analytical laboratory offers full-service cannabis and industrial hemp testing for clients all over the state, from Sussex County down to Cape May Point. Our testing services go beyond just those required for regulatory compliance to help cannabis businesses analyze the true quality of their products. Among the services True Labs for Cannabis offers are:
Cannabinoid profiling: Phytocannabinoids like THC and CBD are the compounds that researchers know the most about – and the ones that consumers are most aware of. Understanding the compound profile of a cannabis product is essential for consumers to understand. At True Labs, our tests will quantify levels of 14 cannabinoids, including: THC, CBD, THCA, THCV, CBC, CBDA, CBG, and CBN.
Terpene profiling: Terpene profiles influence the flavors, aromas, and effects associated with a cannabis product. Terpenes are an increasingly important factor in many consumers' buying decisions. With insights from True Labs for Cannabis, brands can ensure they reproduce the same terpene profiles time and again, improving the consistency of their products.
Pesticide testing: Some states ban the use of all pesticides, while others ban just a few of the most dangerous ones. Even when cannabis is grown organically, these chemicals can enter the plant through contaminated water and nutrients in the soil. It's important to ensure cannabis products do not contain harmful levels of insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides and other chemicals.
Microbial testing: Microbes like yeast and mold are omnipresent and can colonize on cannabis that is not properly cured or stored. Some of these microbes can be harmful to consumers even at very low levels, so it's critical to catch them in testing. True Labs for Cannabis can identify multiple types of microbes including yeast, mold, bacteria, E. coli and Salmonella spp., among others.
Residual solvent testing: In the extraction processes used to make cannabis concentrates, it's common to employ solvents like butane. When concentrates are refined, the solvents should be removed. However, residual solvents may remain in the product and pose a hazard to consumers. True Labs testing identifies higher-than-allowed levels of residual solvents before products reach store shelves.
Lipids testing: Cannabis extracts are often vaporized, and some products have been shown to contain lipid additives to assist in their viscosity and stability. This includes Vitamin E Acetate, which has been linked to vape-related lung injury called EVALI.
These are just some of the tests that True Labs for Cannabis performs on cannabis products like flower, concentrates, extracts, and edibles. Our full slate of tests available at our New Jersey analytical laboratory ensures that you’re not only meeting state minimums but exceeding requirements by providing the cleanest and safest products available in New Jersey’s growing cannabis market.
Be sure about what's in your cannabis products
Cannabis testing is not only a regulatory requirement, but it’s also a matter of trust between your company and the customer. Patients and adult-use recreational consumers alike deserve to know precisely what’s in the products they’re buying, and with the right analytical laboratory in your corner, you can build that relationship with customers concerned about what they’re putting into their bodies.
True Labs for Cannabis is an accredited, trusted partner that employs rigorous standards and tests every product with care and precision. In an emerging cannabis market like New Jersey's, it's all the more important to offer only the cleanest, purest, and safest products, and with our own strict standards and best-in-class testing capabilities, we can help you do that.