Reasons Why CBD Third-Party Testing Is Important For Safety

CBD third-party testing is a term used when talking about CBD. It is considered very important when choosing a quality CBD product. What exactly is this?

What Does CBD Third-Party Testing Mean?

CBD third-party testing means that a third party has accepted to perform specific tests on the manufacturing process of a product and determines that the intended product confirms the specific standards for safety, quality, and performance.

What does CBD Third-Party Testing Look for

 

There is a long list of what third-party testing looks for. These include:

• visual inspection
  – Physical identity: physical characteristics of the plant
  – Foreign matter: spoilage, absence of stalks, insects, vermin, pests
• moisture content—the weight of water relative to the total weight of the sample (both dry and wet weight)
• potency testing—total THC and CBD and other cannabinoids present
• microbial analysis—the presence of microorganisms
• aflatoxins-naturally occurring toxins that are poisonous and cancer-causing chemicals
• heavy metals, which should not be present in the finished product
• pesticides—tested to show the absence of (this is a huge list)
• presence of terpenes
• residual solvents—from the chemical extraction process

Who Does CBD Third-Party Testing?

CBD THIRD-PARTY TESTING IN CANADA

Canada has a list of all the laboratories and establishments licensed and authorized for analytical testing under the Cannabis Regulations. They will not return any cannabis sent to an analytical testing license holder. You can get a list of these licensed holders here.

As of September 13, 2019, there are 69 licensed establishments, with the highest number in Ontario at 24, followed by British Columbia at 15 and Quebec and Alberta at 12 and 10, respectively. Note: there are none in Newfoundland/Labrador, New Brunswick, or the three territories (Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon).

Another point of interest: Health Canada does NOT accredit laboratory testing procedures or methods.

CBD THIRD-PARTY TESTING IN THE UNITED STATES

In the U.S., laboratories can receive third-party testing accreditation through the ISO/IEC 17025 General requirements, the main ISO standard used by the testing and calibration laboratories.

One such body that offers accreditation for a cannabis lab is the ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board), a wholly owned subsidiary of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

ANAB provides accreditation for laboratories that perform analytical testing of cannabis and cannabis-derived products, including oils, edibles, drinks, concentrates, flowers, butters, and waxes, and hemp and products derived from hemp.

In many cases, suppliers and regulatory authorities will not accept test or calibration results from a lab that is not accredited. It is used to implement a quality system aimed at improving the ability to consistently produce valid results. Accreditation assures competency and reliability.

 

5 STEP ACCREDITATION PROCESS

There are very stringent guidelines for receiving accreditation from ANAB, which include a 5-step process:

• STEP 1

First is the Allocation Phase. The laboratory schedules a date acceptable to the assessor and the office.

• STEP 2

Document Review Phase. The laboratory uploads documents for the assessor to review to determine the readiness of the lab.

• STEP 3

On-site Assessment Phase. The assessor reviews the technical competency of the lab. If there are nonconformities, the assessor will make recommendations to the lab and determine the accreditation.

• STEP 4

Corrective Action Review Phase. If required, the lab submits corrective action. The assessor will review and approve it.

• STEP 5

Technical Review Period. Where an accreditation council member, an accreditation manager, and the vice president of the business unit review the package.

How Applicants Can Prepare Themselves

• Purchase and review the standards for more information and clarity; an applicant can go to the ANSI National Accreditation Board
• Prepare required documents
• Participate in proficiency testing
• Lab management will want to do an internal audit and management review of its processes to make sure it is ready for the assessment process
• Understand the scope of the testing they are applying for and any uncertainties

Difficulties for New Applicants

The ANAB says there are three major challenges that new applicants to a cannabis laboratory face:

• Lack of compendia methods: Laboratories are required to validate their methods.

• The regulatory environment: The labs need to understand the state and local regulations related to their scope of activity.

• No matrix-specific reference materials: Labs need to ‘spike’ materials into clean matrices—this may not mimic the true chemical binding that occurs in nature.

View the full video explaining this in detail.

Is CBD Third-Party Testing Important?

While third-party testing is not mandatory, the bottom line is that it is important to weed out companies that will slap a label on a CBD product and will tell you it is the real deal. It is important to deal with companies that have a good reputation and where you can trust the quality and consistency of the CBD. The testing of cannabis products shows they are safe for consumption and free from harmful contaminants.

Final Thoughts

One thing is certain—with the legalization in Canada and in many states, the increase of cannabis use both at the medical and recreational level, and no current FDA regulations in place, we agree there is a need to address and implement standardization so that everyone is on the same page.

Most reputable companies have claims on their website promoting third-party testing and some go so far as to give the breakdown.

If you find a company you want to order from, contact them and ask about their quality control process. They should answer your questions or point you in the right direction.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

ANAB complies with international standards and requirements for accreditation bodies and is a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), InterAmerican Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC), and the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC).

ANAB charges a fee for the accreditation certificate.

Not all states require state-mandated testing for cannabis products—for example, Arizona – and for third-party testing, the FDA does not test CBD.

In the United States, cannabis remains illegal at the federal level.

FDA DISCLOSURE

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

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