Pesticide testing

Pesticide testing analyzes a sample for residues of insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and plant growth regulators that may remain from cultivation.

Hemp has few pesticides approved specifically for it, but residues can arrive through drift from neighboring fields, contaminated soil or off-label use. Extraction concentrates whatever the plant carried. Laboratories screen for a defined list of compounds, often several dozen, using liquid or gas chromatography paired with mass spectrometry to reach trace levels in an oily matrix.

On a certificate of analysis each pesticide on the panel is listed with a measured value, the method's reporting limit and an action limit with a pass or fail indication. A pass means none of the listed compounds exceeded its limit; it says nothing about compounds not on the panel, so the length of the list matters. Panels and limits differ by state and laboratory, which is why two certificates for similar products can look different. The section is equally relevant for products intended for animals.