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Potency Testing
Potency Testing
Cannabis and hemp potency testing determines the therapeutic strength or efficacy of cannabinoids. To ensure that the desired effect or intensity is achieved, you'll need to know how potent a plant or substance is. Our potency tests look for 15 different cannabinoids in a sample of flower or stems, as well as any cannabis or hemp product in the R&D stage. CannaLabs can also confirm the potency of items that are about to hit the market.
MATRIX
Flowers/Plants, Derivative Products and Edibles
ANALYTES
11 – 22 count
INSTRUMENT
LCUV
Going Above & Beyond THC and CBD in Potency Testing
Cannabis potency testing determines the number of cannabinoids present in your cannabis sample as well as their potency. CannaLabs uses Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), which is the recommended instrument for testing cannabis edibles and extracts because it can analyze samples at room temperature without the use of a catalyst. A gas chromatograph would not be able to test for THC Acid (THCA) or CBD Acid (CBDA) with this method.
- Δ9-THC
- Δ8-THC
- Δ9-THCA
- THCV
- CBD
- CBDA
- CBDV
- CBG
- CBGA
- CBC
- CBN
- Δ10-THC
- CBNA
- CBCA
- CBDVA
- CBL
- THCVA
- CBT
- Δ8-THCV
- EXO-THC
- Δ9-THCOa
- Δ8-THCOa
- HU-331
- Acetic Anhydride
Potency 11
- Δ9-THC
- Δ8-THC
- Δ9-THCA
- THCV
- CBD
- CBDA
- CBDV
- CBG
- CBGA
- CBC
- CBN
- Δ10-THC
- CBNA
- CBCA
- CBDVA
- CBL
- THCVA
- CBT
- Δ8-THCV
- EXO-THC
- Δ9-THCOa
- Δ8-THCOa
- HU-331
- Acetic Anhydride
Potency 12
- Δ9-THC
- Δ8-THC
- Δ9-THCA
- THCV
- CBD
- CBDA
- CBDV
- CBG
- CBGA
- CBC
- CBN
- Δ10-THC
- CBNA
- CBCA
- CBDVA
- CBL
- THCVA
- CBT
- Δ8-THCV
- EXO-THC
- Δ9-THCOa
- Δ8-THCOa
- HU-331
- Acetic Anhydride
Potency 22
- Δ9-THC
- Δ8-THC
- Δ9-THCA
- THCV
- CBD
- CBDA
- CBDV
- CBG
- CBGA
- CBC
- CBN
- Δ10-THC
- CBNA
- CBCA
- CBDVA
- CBL
- THCVA
- CBT
- Δ8-THCV
- EXO-THC
- Δ9-THCOa
- Δ8-THCOa
- HU-331
- Acetic Anhydride
THCOa Safety Bundle
- Δ9-THC
- Δ8-THC
- Δ9-THCA
- THCV
- CBD
- CBDA
- CBDV
- CBG
- CBGA
- CBC
- CBN
- Δ10-THC
- CBNA
- CBCA
- CBDVA
- CBL
- THCVA
- CBT
- Δ8-THCV
- EXO-THC
- Δ9-THCOa
- Δ8-THCOa
- HU-331
- Acetic Anhydride
Additional Insights for Consumers
It's critical to evaluate the cannabinoids included in your products, as well as their potency when selecting which cannabis strains the best suit your customers' demands. Cannabinoids are chemical molecules generated by cannabis flowers that replicate the actions of endocannabinoids, which the human body naturally produces. Endocannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) of the human body, assisting us in maintaining homeostasis. As a result, cannabinoids can be an important aspect of human health and decide the therapeutic value of your product.
Potency Testing and its Scientific and Legal Aspects
As laws in the United States continue to change, standardized and consistent potency testing is required to keep consumers safe from undesired side effects. Testing for potency is essential for hemp to demonstrate that it contains less than the maximum allowable amount of THC (0.3 percent ).
Legal and Scientific
Potency testing also allows scientists to investigate how cannabinoids may behave differently depending on whether they are found in flowers, oils, or topicals. This type of research can improve your ability to advertise your product to the specific customers who will gain the most from its impacts.
To meet market demand for high THC or CBD levels, it's also critical to evaluate your product's potency. You may also use potency findings to provide your customers with the information they need to figure out what dose is right for them based on their symptoms. Customers may engage with their dispensary professional to identify the optimal strain for them when a product's cannabinoid profile is transparent and documented.
Getting More Accurate & Conclusive Potency Results
Cannabinoids are typically found in the plant resin produced by structures called trichomes. Insects, animals, fungus, light contaminators, and other environmental threats are all thwarted by trichomes. Terpenes, which are responsible for the plant's scent, taste, and therapeutic properties, are abundant in the sticky resin.
The greatest way to modify your plant's cannabinoid profile is to choose a seed with genes that can create the potency you want. If you reside in the mountains, for example, you can choose a seed that was specifically designed for high-altitude growth. However, micronutrients, temperature exposure, humidity levels, harvest methods, and water quality can all affect how much resin a plant generates.
Heat, for example, can prevent resin synthesis, so keep temperatures as low as possible–especially during the plant's bloom cycle's later phases. Throughout the harvest, pay particular attention to the color of the trichomes. Trichomes that are clear and translucent aren't ready to be processed yet. The plant has reached appropriate quantities of cannabinoids when the trichomes lose their opacity and take on an amber tint.
FAQ
Faqs On Potency Testing
No. The two most common methods for determining cannabis potency are Gas Chromatography (GC) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) (HPLC). Some businesses employ GC because of its speed of analysis and ease of detecting common cannabinoids such as THC, CBD, and cannabinol (CBN). If the cannabis product will be smoked, this procedure can provide insight into the strength of particular cannabinoids in this form, as it mimics the process of heating the cannabis product.
Nonetheless, because this procedure necessitates the use of heat, acid forms of cannabinoids such as THCA and CBDA cannot be identified. Because HPLC can identify the acid molecules of key cannabinoids before they change to their equivalent compounds by the heat of smoking or baking, it becomes a useful tool for determining cannabis potency. Because HPLC devices identify cannabinoids using an ultraviolet wavelength detector, they are considerably more inclusive of various kinds of cannabinoids in their free form or acidic condition. When it comes to potency testing, HPLC is frequently the method of choice.
The time of year and the topography in which a hemp plant is planted are two factors that can influence its cannabinoid content. Chemical exposure and environmental stress are two further things to consider. That is why you should begin potency testing while the plant is still in the vegetative stage.
Laboratories like Cannalabs can study plants early in their life cycles to determine CBD and THC strength using vegetative potency assays. This test saves you time by avoiding the time-consuming process of bringing seedlings to maturity and then waiting until after harvest to test the bloom. It enables more fast development that meets the quality and safety expectations of patients and consumers.
Finally, once your cannabis has been harvested, you'll want to retest it.
We currently test for the 16 cannabinoids indicated below, along with 4 new ones (ᐃ8-THCV, ᐃ10-THCV, EXO-THC, CBT)
· THCA-A
· THCV
· ᐃ-THC
· CBCA
· CBD
· CBC
· ᐃ8-THC
· CBDVA
· CBDA
· CBN
· CBDV
· CBL
· CBG
· CBGA
· CBNA
· THCVA
At CannaLabs, we look for the 21 cannabinoids that are most common in cannabis plants. While THC and CBD are the most well-known cannabinoids, the rest of the plant's components work together to generate medicinal and cognitive effects. CBN and CBG, for example, are two cannabinoids that are starting to gain traction in the market. CBN has been linked to depression relief, neurological difficulties such as epilepsy, sleep disturbances, and pain reduction. CBG has comparable properties and is linked to inflammation, OCD, and glaucoma.
Another important molecule that has no psychotropic properties is THCA. THCA is well-known for its capacity to aid in the treatment of medical diseases such as nausea, lupus, and arthritis. Heating THCA turns it into THC, inadvertently boosting the overall THC amount, hence it's more typically consumed than smoked.
Tetrahydrocannabivarin, or THCV, is another chemical molecule that, according to a study, has different effects on the body depending on the dose. Because it tended to reduce hunger, THCV has been used in concert with THC for weight loss. It may also be used to treat anxiety and illnesses such as PTSD in higher doses.
Understanding the potency of each cannabinoid can aid in the marketing of your product and provide your customers with the information they need to make an educated decision
Cannabinoid potency testing is carried out in a variety of ways. To begin, you must submit a sample of your cannabis or hemp product. Then we conduct potency tests on the cannabis flower, extract, and consumable using an Ultra HPLC, the gold standard. Our Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) testing technique is 100 percent consistent with the USDA's most recent hemp-testing criteria, ensuring reliable and compliant results. We'll publish the results on a secure web platform within 3-5 days and offer a paper and digital Certificate of Analysis (COA). The COA is accessed via a QR code and is required to confirm that the contents of your goods match the label and that it does not contain any harmful contaminants.
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