The cannabis industry has been flourishing significantly and its use for medical purposes is acknowledged across the globe. With the boom in consumers, the need to know more about cannabis has also increased. The role of testing laborat0ries has become vital. Owning and operating a lab and tools equivalent to cannabis testing equipment from Prodigy Scientific has become a lucrative option. The article highlights how laboratories test and analyze cannabis products so that they are free of toxins and hazardous substances.
Potency analysis
Analyzing cannabinoid profiles also referred to as potency is one of the vital components for cannabis testing in a lab. There are different cannabinoid profiles with varying medicinal functions. To undertake potency testing and analysis, conventional equipment, known as the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography or HPLC is used. It has become the standard equipment or tool for testing cannabinoid profiles. The HPLC analyzer integrates modern software and hardware packages to ensure precise cannabis potency profiling.
Pesticide testing
Identifying pesticides in cannabis can be a huge challenge. Pesticides are used during cannabis plantation to eliminate the hassles of pests. The chemicals used are toxic for humans, and therefore, it is necessary to confirm their absence in medicinal cannabis products. One of the biggest challenges is the use of lab equipment for analyzing a minimum of 18 different pesticides.
Two types of modern equipment are used in the laboratories for pesticide analysis. LCMS or Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and GCMS or Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry are the two instruments used for detecting and identifying pesticides in cannabis products. LCMS-8050 is the recommended lab equipment and is ideal for analyzing and detecting the majority of the pesticides that are used in the cannabis industry.
Heavy metals testing
There are different metals found in soils and fertilizers. When cannabis plants grow they draw in such metals from the soil, which can be toxic sometimes. With the technologically-advanced lab set-ups and similar to cannabis testing equipment from Prodigy Scientific, hazardous and toxic metals can be identified before infusing them for medicinal purposes. ICPMS-2030 seems to be the recommended testing software for heavy metals in cannabis. The software simplifies the testing with the aid of two functions.
- The Development Assistant function ensures the entire process of analytical method development is implemented in a simplified manner
- The Diagnosis Assistant feature can automatically identify the interferences of heavy metals in any cannabis-infused specimen.
These two functions provide reliable analytical outcomes without any challenges. Furthermore, the software is user-friendly, which makes it even more preferred among labs around the world.
Residual solvents examining
Residual solvents like butane, propane, ethanol, hexane, etc., are chemical leftovers while extracting cannabinoids from the cannabis plant. The residual solvents are not safe for human consumption, hence the need for the labs to verify the traces of such solvents and eliminate them while manufacturing the final product. Gas Chromatography or GC is the lab instrument used for examining the residual solvents from cannabis-infused products.
Conclusion
To ensure there is precise analysis and identification of residual solvents, heavy metals, pesticides, and other toxic and hazardous substances, excellent lab facilities like the cannabis testing equipment from Prodigy Scientific should be used. Toxic substances must be identified in cannabis testing or else they will be dangerous for human consumption.