Encore Labs

In California, the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) requires that all cannabis products undergo analytical testing before being sold. As a result, cannabis testing has emerged as a booming sub-industry in the world of legal cannabis.

Cannabis testing labs place a great deal of importance on the consistency and accuracy of their testing protocols. However, there’s one overlooked step that can have a big effect on testing results: sample preparation. Let’s look at how cannabis testing labs get your sample ready for analysis. 

The Importance of Sample Preparation

When it comes to cannabis testing, a lot of attention is paid to the instrumentation and analytical methods. As a result, sample preparation is often overlooked. But in the end, the quality of the results will depend on the quality of the input. The most cutting-edge analytical instruments won’t make a difference if a sample is prepared poorly.

Selecting a Sample

The first step of sample preparation is sample selection. To be compliant with California state regulations, an employee of the testing lab must collect the sample. The cannabis distributor should be present but cannot help or participate in the sampling process. This eliminates any bias from the distributor to choose the “best” sample for testing. Samples need to be representative of the entire product batch to give the most accurate results.

How much product do you need to provide as a sample? It depends on the type of product and the type of testing. To meet all of the requirements in California, testing labs need to provide the following amounts of product: