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As a cannabis grower, preparing your sample for testing is an essential part of ensuring the quality and safety of your product. Assessing your cannabis can provide valuable information about the cannabinoid and terpene content, as well as any potential contaminants that may be present. There’s a multitude of great articles breaking down how to prepare your samples for testing.
However, we culled these quick tips for preparing your marijuana sample for testing.
Preparing your plant for inspection
- Choose the Right Sample: The first step in preparing your cannabis sample for inspection is to choose the right sample. Ideally, the sample should be representative of the entire batch and should be taken from multiple plants. It’s also important to choose the right part of the plant for testing, such as the flowers or leaves.
- Properly Dry and Cure Your Marijuana: Properly drying and curing your cannabis is essential for accurate analysis results. If the sample is too wet or not properly cured, it can affect the accuracy of the testing results. The sample should be dried and cured in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
- Homogenize Your Sample: Homogenizing your sample involves grinding the cannabis to a fine powder to ensure an even distribution of cannabinoids and terpenes throughout the sample. This step is crucial to ensure that the sample is representative of the entire batch.
- Choose the Right Solvent: The solvent used for extraction can affect the accuracy of the testing results. It’s important to choose a solvent that is appropriate for the type of cannabinoids being analyzed. For example, ethanol is commonly used for THC and CBD extraction, while CO2 is used for terpene extraction.
- Optimize the Extraction Method: The extraction method used can also affect the accuracy of the testing results. Factors such as extraction time, temperature, and agitation should be optimized to ensure efficient and complete extraction of the cannabinoids and terpenes.
- Use Quality Control Samples: Quality control samples are essential for monitoring the performance of the testing method and ensuring accurate and reliable results. These samples should be prepared using high-quality reference materials and tested alongside the cannabis samples.
- Label Your Sample: Your client wants the end product properly labeled. So, it’s important to label your sample properly to ensure accurate tracking and identification throughout the testing process. The label should include information such as the strain, harvest date, and any other relevant information.
- Store Your Sample Properly: Proper storage of your cannabis sample is crucial to maintain its quality and ensure accurate testing results. The sample should be stored in an airtight container, away from light and moisture.
Ensuring Accuracy in Plant Inspection
In conclusion, preparing your plant sample for inspection is an essential part of ensuring the quality and safety of your product. Following these tips can help you to prepare a representative sample and ensure accurate and reliable testing results.
By testing your cannabis, you can gain valuable information about the cannabinoid and terpene content, as well as any potential contaminants, which can help to maintain the quality and safety of your product.
Ready to Start Testing?
Ready to start testing your miracle plant? While AccuScience Labs is located in Eustis, which is in Central Florida, we can help no matter where your location is. Reach out to us now to find out more information on how we can help get your testing started.
