The testing protocols for Cannabis is getting an upgrade. A new federal program from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will set a “standard” in the Cannabis industry launched this summer. This program will ensure greater accuracy when it comes to the Cannabis industry and its products. According to the NIST the need for this new Cannabis Testing is more urgent than ever. Since hemp was first legalized under the Farm Bill in 2018, the need for consumers to have access to accurate information regarding their Cannabis products is substantial, calling for a change in the industry.
Due to this demand, NIST will launch a project geared toward the promotion of quality lab testing within the Cannabis industry. This project, known as the Cannabis Quality Assurance Program (CannaQAP), will be focused on hemp-derived oil products and is aimed toward helping testing labs across the country increase accuracy within their testing products when it comes to distinguishing between Hemp and Marijuana. An oversight in this distinction often results in inaccurate results.
How Will CannaQAP Work?
The focus of this program is to set a standard for the Cannabis industry. To do this, NIST will send Kaycha Labs, along with other participating labs, two hemp oil samples within the same testing realm such as Potency, Pesticides, and Nutrient Content. These samples will be at different parts of the process and hold two different types of derivatives. One sample will be at a higher concentration, one at a lower. Participating labs will not be told of the concentrations of the compounds, and they will be asked to measure them before sending their results back to NIST. While each lab will be kept anonymous, NIST will analyze the results and record each lab’s testing accuracy and precision. This program is not meant to target labs that may have inaccurate results, but instead to instill a higher accuracy protocol for the Cannabis industry standards. This program will ensure that labs are practicing accurate, useful, reproducible, and thorough testing. According to Shari Campbell, Kaycha Lab’s Compliance Manager in Davie, FL, “This new Cannabis testing program helps weed out the labs that aren’t doing things the right way.”
Why is the CannaQAP Program Important?
Right now, the Cannabis industry has no metrics or standards in place. With this program, standards for Cannabis products will be put forth, leading to consumers having the ability to make a well-informed decision when it comes to Cannabis products stocked on shelves. Without standards put in place, non-legitimate facilities can give their products to labs for testing, resulting in harmful products being passed through. According to a report published by the Food and Drug Administration regarding the state of the CBD marketplace, many products held significant inconsistencies between the cannabinoid concentrations that were listed on labels and that which the product actually contained. This report also highlighted that a considerable amount of contamination toward these products came from harmful minerals and dangerous metals. These inconsistent testing results is why Kaycha Lab’s focuses a great deal on their testing practices and method validations. Kaycha Labs tests all products for potency, terpenes, pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, microbials, mycotoxins, lipids, nutrient-content, environmental factors, and shelf-life. These practices are in place to ensure the health and safety of the consumer. With the new CannaQAP program putting industry standards in place, this will only be easier. Without these standards, consumers can potentially purchase products that have not been thoroughly tested, leading to more harm than good.
With these standards, consumers will easily be able to identify what is in the product that they’re purchasing, “We want consumers to be able to read the label and know what’s in the product,” explained Campbell. Ensuring the accuracy in all testing practices has always been of the utmost importance to Kaycha Labs. “In this industry, consumers have to trust you, and that’s why we hone in on the ‘why’ of what we do,” Campbell added. This program is just the first step in regulating the standards of the Cannabis industry.
Kaycha Welcomes New Testing Protocols
Since its founding, Kaycha Labs has worked eagerly to help the Cannabis industry become more legitimate, and their protocols have always been at the forefront of testing. To provide consumers with the most accurate testing, Kaycha is ready to see what this brings for the Cannabis industry. This new testing program is exciting news for labs who strive to provide the most accurate, efficient, and legitimate results in the Cannabis industry, all of which Kaycha takes pride in. “Kaycha Labs has always been at the forefront of testing and has worked to help the industry become more legitimate,” explained Campbell. With eight locations across the country and six in the works, Kaycha Labs is readily accessible to satisfy your testing needs. As America’s first choice in Cannabis and Hemp testing, Kaycha is eager to see a standard put in place for Cannabis, and welcomes these new protocols with open arms.
CANNABIS TESTING
