QA/Compliance Testing
Quality Assurance Testing
Quality Assurance – QA – is the process of verifying whether a product meets required specifications. Many people use QA testing to obtain new knowledge about their current products or to create new systems that will help them maximize their intended goals. Most often, the goal is to prepare a product for State Compliance Testing. QA testing is an incredibly useful asset in a compliance-regulated industry, which is why we offer the same tests needed at the compliance level a la carte. You can pick and choose different tests individually from our menu depending on your testing focus.
We specialize in testing hemp and THC/CBD-driven products, including but not limited to the testing of new varieties of hemp and the development of new and innovative products from the cannabis plant.
QA testing is a vital tool and we strive to help you understand the meaning behind your research and results.
We accept drop off samples M-F 8am-7pm at our lab located in Jackson off of Ann Arbor Road. We can also schedule a pick up for locations across Michigan. To schedule a pick up, please contact the lab. When samples are dropped off, picked up or shipped, please fill out and include a QA Chain of Custody so we know exactly whose samples they are and what tests are being requested.
Each product requires a different amount of sample per QA test. General guidelines are listed as follows:
| FLOWER | TRIM | EDIBLE | CONCENTRATES | TOPICAL | TINCTURE | |
| POTENCY | 1.5g | 3g | 3g | 1g | 1g | 1mL |
| PESTICIDES | 1g | 1g | 1g | 1g | 1g | 1mL |
| RESIDUAL SOLVENTS | X | X | 1g | 1g | 1g | 1mL |
| MICROBIAL | 1g | 1g | 1g | 1g | 1g | 1mL |
| HEAVY METALS | 1g | 1g | .5g | 1g | 1g | 1mL |
| WATER ACTIVITY | 1g | 1g | .5g | 1g | 1g | 1mL |
| MYCOTOXINS | 1g | 1g | .5g | 1g | 1g | 1mL |
*For any concentrate in a vape cartridge, double the quoted minimum amount needed as we can only retrieve about half of the material in the hardware
These are general sample minimums. Science is not always perfect, and we may need to request more in order to verify results. If you feel comfortable providing more sample than requested, we will not decline additional material.
Results
We use a reporting tool called Confident Cannabis; all your results are accessible on your account and can be recalled at any time. An email will be sent to you when your results are ready to be viewed.
Turnaround Time
Our turnaround for QA testing is 2-3 days, which we meet or exceed with a 97% success rate. Expedited options are available for those who need their results by the next business day.
- QA testing may be requested by anyone 21+.
- QA tests can be ordered at any time without the official guidelines. Official Licenses are not required for QA testing.
- Results from QA testing cannot be used to legally sell products to storefronts, but are a good way to know what the status of your products are before submitting them for official tests and can decrease the fail rate for your products.
Michigan State Compliance Testing
As of July 2nd, 2019, certified third party cannabis testing is required for all cannabis products sold commercially.
Listed below is a link to the full current cannabis testing regulations, per the MRA. Current Regulations have been in effect since Oct. 30, 2019: View Here.
Our turnaround time for state compliance testing is 3-5 business days, with expedited options available. For more information or to schedule a compliance pick up, please contact the lab so we can help guide you through the process.
Required Testing for Michigan
- Cannabinoid Potency
- Residual Solvent (not required for flower)
- Category 1 and 2 Pesticides
- Microbial Impurities
- Mycotoxins
- Moisture Content and Water Activity
- Heavy Metals
- Foreign Materials
- Terpenes, if advertised on your product label. Otherwise, not required.
Compliance Samples
For compliance testing, we send experienced sample technicians to any legal cannabis distribution center in Michigan to collect a representative sample of your batch for testing. We will need the following documents before scheduling a pickup:
- A completed and signed Prep for Sample Collection form
- A PDF copy of the distribution license, including the physical address for pickup, on file
- A PDF copy of the manufacturer’s or cultivator’s license for each product to be tested on file
When our Sample Technician arrives at the distribution center, your product must be separated, quarantined, accessible and accurately labeled with the information provided on your Prep for Sample Collection form.
● Every container that your product is in must be labeled with its unique batch number and must match what is on the Prep for Sample Collection form.
● If different sized products are batched together, include itemized quantities on your Prep for Sample Collection form.
Disclaimer: Pre-rolls and flower can no longer be batched together.
● Flower should be written in pounds if unpackaged, and units if packaged. Batches of flower cannot exceed 15 lbs; batches of any manufactured product cannot exceed 150,000 units.
● All products must be in their final consumer-facing form- this includes pre-rolls.
The following table displays sample minimums for compliance testing as required by the MRA:
| Cannabis Products Batch Size (Units) | Number of Increments (Per Sample) |
| ≤50 | 2 |
| 51-150 | 3 |
| 151-500 | 5 |
| 501-1,200 | 8 |
| 1,201-3,200 | 13 |
| 3,201-10,000 | 20 |
| 10,001-35,000 | 32 |
| 35,001-150,000 | 50 |
However, lab minimums may not be the same as the MRA’s (see table):
| Product Type | Lab Minimums | BCC Minimums |
| Edibles | 5 units | See Table |
| Flower | 8 grams | .5% of batch |
| Conc./Vape Carts/Dabs | 15 grams | See Table |
| Topicals/Tinctures | 15 grams | See Table |
| Pre-rolls | 10 grams | See Table |
| Capsule/Softgels | Contact Us | Contact Us |
If you have any questions concerning sample minimums or would like to know how many units are to be taken from your batch prior to pick up, please contact the lab.
Our turnaround time for state compliance testing is 3-5 business days, with a 3 day guaranteed expedited option available.
● Once samples are picked up, the laboratory must test for each analyte and must report the results on the regulatory compliance COA.
● There is no process for the licensee requesting testing to cancel the testing once the sample has been collected from the distributor’s premises.
● The Marijuana Regulation Agency of Michigan regulations do not permit the reporting of any results prior to the completion of analyses, nor prior to the release of the regulatory compliance COA.
● We cannot amend any COA after issuance; if a product fails compliance, the licensee has up to 30 days to submit a corrective plan of action to the State Department of Public Health or the Bureau.