SC Laboratories, Inc. (SC Labs) today announced that the company has received ISO (International Organization for Standardization) accreditation for a comprehensive hemp/CBD testing panel that combines the regulatory requirements of all states that publish hemp testing rules. At present, there are no federally-required testing regulations for hemp and each state has its own set of requirements, making it difficult for consumers to navigate the safety of products and for companies to qualify products beyond individual state standards. SC Labs now offers a suite of tests that target state-specific requirements for multiple states and a Comprehensive Test Panel that targets a complete list of contaminants and active constituents at the lowest action limits as required by each state.
According to SC Labs CEO Jeff Gray, “As an industry, we’ve been advocating for national, standardized, and transparent testing regulations for years now. The government has been slow to respond so we decided it was time to act. The test we’ve created meets or exceeds the requirements of most states and that will give consumers greater peace of mind. No one else can say that right now.”
SC Labs is currently licensed in California, Oregon, Texas, and Colorado (pending) so cannabis operators in those states will benefit from this comprehensive panel with assurance that products meet all state requirements. Depending on compliance regulations in other states, producers may use this test for quality assurance purposes prior to testing at a state-licensed laboratory for each state as required.
“Although these expanded offerings are targeted for hemp, they are also relevant to our cannabis clients who want to go beyond compliance regulations,” said Gray. “As more companies aim to expand products nationally, we saw a need for testing at a universal level so we poured our efforts into the development of a test that would meet those needs. It’s paid off because we have several national brands that are implementing the test panel as the quality assurance standard for their line of hemp-derived CBD products.”
This new comprehensive testing panel covers a range of cannabinoids, pesticides, microbiological contaminants, mycotoxins, heavy metals, and residual solvents, combining each individual state’s requirements, thus meeting the highest regulatory bar. With the lack of parity between states, the test is a harmonization of regulations that also takes into account emerging contaminants. The panel can also be customized to meet test methods or quality standards from organizations like United States Pharmacopeia (USP), American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP).
