Periodically Testing Your Hemp While You Grow
Since the legalization of hemp in 2018, states like Texas have proposed guidelines for the testing of the THC and CBD concentration in hemp plant products. However, there has been limited consideration of how much testing should take place during the growing process to monitor the health of plants.
Before Planting
Before you consider planting your seeds, conducting soil tests and water tests should be prioritized. Having clean and balanced soil benefits your overall harvest experience. This can improve the shelf life of your plant as well as the look, smell, and taste of the final product. Not checking for nutrient concentrations, pH, pesticides and other heavy metals can be detrimental to your growing process, therefore, a thorough check of the soil and type of soil being used is very important. Among the nutrients you should test for, it is critical to test for the concentration of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (commonly referred to as N-P-K) in your soil. Not all soils are created equal and not all soils are beneficial for all types of plants. Therefore, is important that your soil has an ideal N-P-K ratio for the growth of hemp plants. For example, during the vegetative state of your plants’ lives, adequate nitrogen is most important but a balanced level of phosphorous and potassium are also needed to develop strong roots, a robust immune system, and photosynthesis. You will also want to test for other micronutrients. The pH of your soil is one factor that determines how efficiently your plants will absorb the soil’s nutrients. It is also important to test the pH of your soil before planting. Hemp prefers slightly acidic soils. Soils that are too basic can cause “nutrient lock-out” and prevent your plants from taking up vital nutrients. You should also test your water source for pH for this reason. Lastly, you should test both water and soil for contaminants. By testing for contaminants like pesticides and heavy metals, you can potentially avoid toxic agents so you can provide high-quality CBD hemp products that are clean and safe for consumption.
Before Harvest
Before harvest, you should be periodically testing your environmental conditions and the cannabinoid content and quality of your flower. During the vegetative stage, you should keep an eye on the environmental conditions and the risks they pose to your harvest. You will want to monitor pH, light exposure, temperature, humidity and potentially carbon dioxide levels as well (if you are growing indoors). During the flowering stage is the time to check for the amount of CBD, THC, other cannabinoids, and residual chemicals. It is critical to monitor CBD content to ensure that the highest potency of CBD is being produced. Checking the THC level is extremely important for legal purposes. You will want to test to ensure your THC levels are below 0.3% prior to your official compliance testing. During this stage you can also visually test for the quality of your flower by examining the trichomes of your flower with a magnifying glass or microscope. Prior to harvest it is also important to further test your flower for residual chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides or molds that may have been present during your grow so that you can flush or remove these contaminants from your final product.
After Harvest
Now that you’ve conducted tests on your soil, water and plants, you should be feeling pretty confident about your hemp. However, the test phase does not stop here. Degradation of flower quality, terpenes and cannabinoids can still happen during this phase so you will need to check that again post-harvest. After harvest it is important to study the microbiology of your hemp product by testing the moisture levels of your flower, especially during drying and curing. Any moisture level higher than 12% runs the risk of producing fungi, bacteria and insects which can cause difficulty during extraction or completely ruin your crop. At this point, you should also be looking for residual pesticides because they can transfer and cause harm to the human body.
After Extraction
You still want to study the microbiology of the plant products at this point to ensure the quality. Consider looking at residual solvents, cannabinoids and terpenes to learn more about the product you’ve produced. After your plant has been harvested, dried and cured, you can confidently begin processing for use of your flower in products. Now you can begin extracting the CBD rich hemp oil, terpenes, or other compounds from the flower. Using liquid-gas solvents such as ethanol, acetone, butane and others are commonly used during the extraction process, however, they can compromise the quality and safety of your product. Ensure that the facility you are using has taken all precautionary measures to ensure a safe and high quality CBD product. It also doesn’t hurt to check for lingering microorganisms and other bacteria, as they can still form, compromising your finished product.
After Production
Now that you're in the final stage of your production you want to make sure that you’re providing a safe product that you can guarantee and stand by. Although we’ve tested certain aspects of the hemp multiple times it is still important at this stage to check it again – you can never be too safe! During post production you can now further refine your hemp CBD by producing products such as oil tinctures, capsules, edibles or creams. For the most thorough testing process, you should consider getting a full-panel test on your final product. By following this testing model, you’ve ensured the safety of your merchandise and can accurately label each product with information that your customers need when choosing the right form of CBD for their bodies.
Websites:
Canna, Moderna. “Do You Know What's in Your Hemp's Soil? Growing Hemp Outdoors.” Modern Canna | MCS, 5 Feb. 2021, https://www.moderncanna.com/cannabis-testing/do-you-know-whats-in-your-hemps-soil-growing-hemp-outdoors/.
Frazer, Brooke, and Rachel Ackerman. “Avoiding Common Mistakes in Hemp Testing + Compliance.” Aurum, 29 June 2021, https://aurum-labs.com/avoiding-common-mistakes-in-hemp-testing-compliance/.
“Guides: Cannabis and the Law: CBD & Industrial hemp2019.” CBD & Industrial Hemp - Cannabis and the Law - Guides at Texas State Law Library, 2019, https://guides.sll.texas.gov/cannabis/cbd.
“Hemp Testing Best Practices for Growers.” Kaycha Labs, 10 June 2021, https://www.kaychalabs.com/hemp-testing-best-practices-for-growers/.
Ledbetter, Kay. “Hemp Potency Testing Available through Texas A&M Agrilife.” AgriLife Today, 2 Dec. 2020, https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/12/02/growing-season-hemp-potency-testing-available-through-texas-am-agrilife/.
Schmidt, Elena. “Hemp Testing Timeline: When and What to Test.” ACS Lab Cannabis, 24 Mar. 2021, https://acslabcannabis.com/blog/cultivation/hemp-testing-timeline-when-and-what-to-test/.
Website, Texas Department of Agriculture. “Texas Hemp Program FAQ.” Forms, 2020, https://www.texasagriculture.gov/Forms.aspx.
