What Is Batch Testing For Cannabis?
When it comes to testing cannabis products, it is essential to ensure the samples analyzed are representative of the products going out to market. That is where batch testing comes in.
Cannabis analysis laboratories cannot possibly test every single cannabis product that reaches dispensary shelves. To understand the potency and safety of the broader batch and whether any contaminants are present, they subject a representative set of samples to testing. Each state has its own set of batch testing requirements, all aimed at protecting consumer safety and making sure the end-user knows precisely what is in the products they are buying.
In this blog, you will learn:
The definition of batch testing for cannabis
Why batch testing cannabis is important for consumer safety
How batch testing works in a cannabis analysis laboratory
New Jersey’s cannabis batch testing rules
What is batch testing for cannabis?
Batch testing for cannabis is the method by which cannabis analysis laboratories identify representative samples of cannabis flower, extracts, or infused products to determine their potencies and whether any contaminants may be present in dangerous amounts.
To do so, laboratories select a percentage of a larger batch to analyze, usually based on the state regulations that apply to the market in which they operate. This percentage of samples should be representative of the larger batch, allowing laboratories to extrapolate the potencies and levels of contaminants present in the product and offer accurate labeling for products that would be sold in the dispensary environment.
Why is batch testing relevant to cannabis safety?
Batch testing cannabis offers insight into what is in the product, from cannabinoids to terpenes to contaminants like mold, pesticides, and heavy metals. Since samples are typically destroyed in the testing process, laboratories cannot test every product before it goes to market. Instead, batch testing a representative cross-section of samples offers a clear breakdown of what consumers could reasonably expect the rest of the products to contain as well. This is a common testing method for food, drink, pharmaceuticals, and other consumables aside from the cannabis industry.
This is important to consumer safety for a number of reasons, chief among them understanding which contaminants might be present in harmful levels. For example, cannabis extracts may contain residual solvents, the chemicals used to separate the therapeutic compounds from the plant biomass. If not properly refined, these solvents may remain in the final product and prove harmful to consumer health and respiratory function.
Similarly, cannabis flower must be tested for mold, among other contaminants. Cannabis analysis laboratories would take a percentage of a larger batch, ensuring samples were representatively obtained, and test them to identify mold or mildew, contaminants that are not always visibly detectable on cannabis flower. If the samples are within legally permissible and safe ranges, the larger batch would be approved for sale. If mold and mildew levels exceed these limits, the larger batch would be remediated, destroyed or discarded in accordance with state law.
These are just some examples of how batch testing enables cannabis analysis laboratories to determine what a broader batch of products contains. A full panel of laboratory testing for any cannabis samples typically includes the following:
Cannabinoid profiling identifies the percentage of each cannabinoid present by weight, analyzing the amount of compounds like THC, CBD, CBG, and more present in cannabis flower, extract, or infused product.
Terpene profiling breaks down the percentage of each terpene – the aromatic and flavorful volatile organic compounds found in cannabis and other plants – present by weight, analyzing compounds like myrcene, beta-caryophyllene, limonene, and more present in cannabis flower, extract, or infused product.
Pesticide testing determines the levels of potentially harmful pesticides in cannabis flower, extract, or infused product. In New Jersey, the use of pesticides in cannabis cultivation is banned entirely.
Microbial testing is performed to identify the presence of mold, mildew, or fungi in cannabis flower, extract, or infused products. Cannabis flower in particular is highly susceptible to microbial growth and must be tested to ensure consumer safety before products reach dispensary shelves.
Heavy metals testing is performed to identify the presence of elements like lead, arsenic, mercury, and more in cannabis flower, extract, or infused products. Cannabis is a bioaccumulative plant that takes in elements from its soil and water, making it particularly useful for environmental remediation, but also susceptible to contamination.
Mycotoxin testing identifies mycotoxins, the byproducts of microbial growth, in a sample. Even if microbial testing shows that cannabis flower, extract, or infused products have acceptable levels of bacteria, mycotoxins could still be present, representing a serious risk to consumer health.
Residual solvent testing ensures there are no harmful levels of solvents like butane, propane, ethanol, or others used in the manufacturing process in the final product. In high enough levels, solvents can be harmful to consumer respiratory health.
Moisture content testing helps cannabis analysis laboratories assess the risk of microbial growth. If moisture content, or the amount of water, is too high, even properly stored cannabis flower could be at risk of microbial contamination, so it is important to ensure cannabis flower has been dried and cured properly before reaching market.
Water activity testing identifies how much available, or free-flowing, water is in cannabis flower. Much like moisture content, water activity testing is needed to gauge the risk that microbial contamination could occur after a batch passes laboratory testing.
What are New Jersey's current batch testing requirements for cannabis?
In New Jersey, batch testing requirements for cannabis mandate that 0.5% of a 100-pound batch of cannabis flower be tested for potency and contamination for a single set of compliance testing. This equates to 227 grams of cannabis flower per 100-pound batch (45,359 grams). The 227 grams of sample material collected from this batch would then be used in testing, though most laboratories will only use between 7% and 9% of this sample size for a full panel analysis (equating to between 16 and 20 grams).
Batch size requirements were increased by the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) in January 2022, on an interim basis, from 10 pounds to 100 pounds. This would make it one of the largest batch size requirements in states with legal cannabis programs. This change means that one batch testing sample is taken and tested for every 100 pounds of cannabis flower. Under a 10 pound testing batch size, the testing analysis performed would leverage 70% to 90% of the sample being collected, rather than 7% to 9% under a 100 pound testing batch size. A smaller testing batch size is more representative for the broader batch, and therefore would have the impact of increasing safety for cannabis consumers.
Choose a reputable laboratory for cannabis batch testing
Batch testing for cannabis is about transparency and trust. Cannabis analysis laboratories provide producers and consumers with clear-cut, reliable information about what’s in their cannabis products and the quality of what’s reaching dispensary shelves. For producers, selecting a reputable laboratory to partner with is a prerequisite to earning consumer trust and demonstrating product quality, key elements of building a successful brand in a growing cannabis market like New Jersey’s. Since batch testing is required by law, it is critical to choose the right testing partner that secures accurate, trustworthy results with each batch.