Testing Cannabis for Heavy Metals
Heavy metal pollution of land and water is a worldwide issue, and just like other plants, cannabis can draw in contaminants from the environment. When present at high enough levels, heavy metals can present a danger to cannabis consumers (both patients and adult-use customers) who inhale or ingest contaminated cannabis products. Because of the toxicity heavy metals present, New Jersey and other states set high standards for testing cannabis for heavy metals before they ever reach the dispensary.
Cannabis plants and heavy metals
Cannabis is known to be a bioaccumulating plant, which means that it readily absorbs and stores heavy metals from the soil, fertilizers, water, planting containers, and even the metallic equipment used during processing. Heavy metals can be absorbed into the cannabis plant and products at any point in the cultivation and manufacturing processes. This makes cannabis ideal for remediation of toxic lands, and in fact, industrial hemp is at times utilized for just this purpose. However, that’s where the benefits stop and end: heavy metals at low concentrations create toxicity in the plant. These toxins can be passed on to consumers, causing acute and chronic diseases.
What is considered a heavy metal?
Heavy metals include those classified as human toxicants under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Class 1 category, such as lead (Pb), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg). In addition to these common household names, there are 14 other heavy metals found in natural ecosystems that could be potential sources of contaminants. These include:
Nickel
Silver
Zinc
Thallium
Copper
Cobalt
Antimony
Vanadium
Selenium
Barium
Chromium
Molybdenum
Manganese
Iron
Heavy metals are known to be highly toxic, especially because the body is unable to remove these metals efficiently after exposure. The toxicity of these elements can depend on the route of administration; both inhalation and ingestion present their own separate concerns. No matter which route of administration, though, the metals accumulate over time; frequent and extended exposure is a major concern.
Does New Jersey require heavy metals testing for cannabis?
Yes! New Jersey’s legal medical and adult-use cannabis producers are obligated to test their products for heavy metals before products reach dispensary shelves.
Testing for heavy metals with True Labs for Cannabis
True Labs for Cannabis uses state-of-the-art equipment with ultra-sensitivity to test for heavy metal contamination at concentrations. Our New Jersey analytical lab uses Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), a state of the art testing mechanism which ionizes cannabis samples and thoroughly detects the presence of heavy metals as low as one part per trillion.
This testing will accurately identify and quantify heavy metal toxicity and ensure cannabis consumers are not exposed to unsafe levels of heavy metals, no matter how minute those amounts may be.
When you partner with our north-central New Jersey analytical laboratory, you’re putting your trust in experts who lead one of the first laboratories in the state built from the ground-up to test cannabis for heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticides, and other contaminants that can cause harm to consumers. That’s because we are founded on a mission to leverage industry-leading innovations in testing so you can access the very best for your customers.