The WWW’s of Lab Testing

Ask any CBD company CEO what keeps them up at night and they will
say lab testing, or COAs (certificate of analysis). Lab testing can be expensive,
and results can vary from lab to lab for the same product. Inaccurate and/or
inconsistent testing can lead to loss of revenue. There are some common
pitfalls regarding lab testing when you are formulating products. One of
the common ones goes like this; you formulate your product, and have it tested
by your trusted lab and the test comes out accurately based on your previous
tests you ran on the raw material and formulation. You then sell the
finished product to your customers and maybe one or more of them has the
product independently third party tested just for potency verification. They
use a different lab and have a different result. Who’s right?

Or how about you take your CBD Isolate over to get tested and it
comes back with THC in it? Your first reaction is “not possible, it’s an
isolate.” Then you realize the lab also tests for THC and most likely didn’t
clean their equipment well and your isolate came back contaminated with
THC. Does the lab stand by their results, or do they admit that maybe they
were at fault and will retest (after they clean their equipment) for no
additional charge? Or how about your CBD isolate comes back at 105%
potency? These are just a few scenarios that can happen with lab testing
and they can cost a company not only money but precious time.

That being said, let’s look at the WWWWW’s of lab testing…

Who should obtain
lab testing? Well, everyone should know what’s in their product.

Extractors: Hemp biomass should be tested before the material is extracted into CBD or other cannabinoid
oils and isolates.

Manufacturers: Raw
material should be kept in quarantine until a full panel test is run to
determine cannabinoid potency and safety. After that has been completed,
and it’s deemed that the product is safe, it can proceed to formulation. Once a
formulation has been made, it should be tested again for potency and once it’s
deemed accurate, it may go into production of finished products.

Wholesale
Buyers:
When purchasing raw material from a manufacturer/supplier,
you should always ask for the 3
^rd Party Full Panel COA showing the
potency of the cannabinoids, and whether or not the product you purchased is
free of residual solvents, heavy metals and pesticides.

Retail Buyer
: Most CBD companies post
COAs on their retail websites. If they
don’t contact the company and ask for a COA showing potency for the product you
purchased and a full panel test showing the safety of the raw material oil or
isolate that was used to make your products.

On a side note: Some companies
represent potency percentage based on just CBD alone and some base it on CBD
plus the minor cannabinoids present. This varies by company so be sure to
clarify if you are a buyer.

What type of test
should you get? That depends on where you are in the production
process. Unfortunately, there are no current testing standards for the CBD
industry, so many companies skip full panel testing due to the high
cost. It can run anywhere from $700 – $1000+ depending on the testing
lab. A standard “full panel” test will show cannabinoid potency (to
include THC, Delta 8 and Delta 9, THCA, CBD, CBDA, CBG, CBN, CBC, CBL, and
others), heavy metals, residual solvents, pesticides. There are other tests for, molds, mycotoxins
and terpenes that can be provided for an additional cost, which is usually
passed on to the consumer as these are
not standard tests, and can be expensive. If everything passes, this
provides the consumer verification that the raw material is safe to make into a
finished product.

When should
you test? You should test at the following stages.

Raw
Material:
Have a full panel test run for every new batch of raw material
that arrives at your facility. Make sure the samples are homogenized
(heated) properly first. Since additional potency testing will come later, you
are mainly ensuring that the oil/isolate is free of heavy metals, pesticides, and
residual solvents.

Formulation: If you have a
full panel test for the raw material, only potency is necessary for a
formulation.

Freshbros offers a variety of delta 8 THC products that include
Delta 8 Gummies, Delta 8 Vape Pens, Delta 8 Carts, Delta 8 Distillate and Delta 8 Tinctures. In addition to finished delta 8 THC goods, Freshbros provides bulk raw material for wholesale and retail purposes including: CBD Isolate, CBD Distillate, CBG Isolate, and CBN Isolate.

Finished
Product:
A potency test is all that is necessary after the finished product
is made. This validates the original formulation potency. A QR code
is commonly used on each package to trace back to the COA that should be posted
online.

Where should the
products be tested? There are many testing labs around the country, and new
ones are popping up all of the time, as the demand for CBD grows. You
should always use a reputable lab that has an ISO/IEC rating and is known for
accurate testing. If possible, ask to take a tour of their
facility. Ask is they test THC as well as CBD and ask if they ever have
positive readings for THC in a CBD Isolate. Look for cleanliness and ask
questions about limits of quantification and standards that they use. Find
out what pesticides they test for and how many minor cannabinoids and terpenes
they are capable of testing. This can vary widely from lab to lab and state to
state. Keep in mind that not all labs have the same business ethics. There are
labs out there who report inaccurate results to gain business. Be wary of
lab results that show potency percentages of over 100%.