Marijuana (Meant for Inhalation)

Biomass testing applies to bulk plant material — leaf, stem, and flower together — harvested for processing rather than sale as flower. Potency across a lot commonly runs from 5% to 20% THC depending on how much bud is present relative to structural material.

For biomass submissions, important details include:

• Harvest date and cultivation batch
• Approximate flower-to-stem ratio
• Drying method and current moisture level
• Storage duration before submission
• Extraction process the lot is destined for

Because biomass is bought and sold on cannabinoid content, an accurate potency figure is a commercial number as much as a compliance one. Large lots are rarely uniform, so sampling plan and subsample count determine whether the reported value actually describes what was delivered.

Common submissions include: bulk dried biomass, extraction feedstock, whole-plant lots, and post-harvest material.

Cannagar testing applies to hand-rolled cannabis cigars built from whole flower, frequently layered or coated with concentrate and wrapped in cannabis leaf or hemp. Potency ranges widely — roughly 15% to 30% and higher — because the concentrate content varies from maker to maker.

For cannagar submissions, important details include:

• Total unit weight and flower-to-concentrate split
• Concentrate type used in the build
• Wrap material and any binding agent
• Curing time after rolling
• Whether the core differs from the outer layer

These are deliberately non-uniform products. A concentrate-coated core surrounded by flower means potency is not evenly distributed through the unit, so the sample has to be prepared from the whole article rather than a section of it if the label claim is to hold.

Common submissions include: infused cannagars, cannarillos, leaf-wrapped cigars, and hemp-wrapped units.

Hemp testing applies to cannabis cultivated to stay below the 0.3% total THC threshold that separates hemp from marijuana in most jurisdictions. Here the analytical result does not describe the product — it determines what the product legally is.

For hemp submissions, important details include:

• Cultivar and certified seed source
• Planting date and days from harvest
• Field or lot identification for traceability
• Whether the sample is pre-harvest or post-harvest
• Intended market: fiber, seed, smokable, or extraction

Total THC is calculated from delta-9 THC plus THCA converted at its decarboxylation factor, not from delta-9 alone. A crop reading comfortably under the limit on delta-9 can still exceed it once THCA is accounted for, which is the most common reason a compliant-looking field fails.

Common submissions include: pre-harvest field samples, smokable hemp flower, fiber and seed lots, and CBD extraction feedstock.

Fresh frozen testing applies to flower frozen within hours of harvest, usually below -40°C, and held frozen until extraction. Skipping the drying and curing stage preserves the volatile terpenes that would otherwise be lost, which is the whole reason live resin and live rosin start here.

For fresh frozen submissions, important details include:

• Time from cut to freeze
• Storage temperature and whether the chain was ever broken
• Packaging: vacuum-sealed or open container
• Moisture content at freezing
• Extraction process the material is destined for

High water content is what makes this matrix demanding. Potency reported on a wet basis reads far lower than the same material dry, so the moisture figure has to travel with the result. Samples must also stay frozen in transit — a thaw before analysis changes the terpene profile the test was meant to capture.

Common submissions include: fresh frozen whole plant, frozen bud, live resin feedstock, and cold-chain extraction lots.

Flower testing applies to dried and cured cannabis bud submitted for the full compliance panel. Potency commonly falls between 15% and 30% THC, though the figure reflects cultivar, cultivation conditions, and how carefully the lot was dried and cured.

For flower submissions, important details include:

• Harvest or batch identification
• Drying and curing status
• Storage and packaging conditions
• Whether the sample represents finished flower, trim, or biomass
• Any handling details relevant to the submitted lot

Cure state moves more than one result at once. Moisture and water activity govern microbial risk, and both shift the potency figure through simple dilution — under-cured flower reports lower cannabinoids and carries a higher mould risk at the same time.

Common submissions include: dried flower, cured flower lots, packaged retail units, and pre-packaging batches.

Popcorn bud testing applies to the small, dense buds that develop on lower branches receiving less light. They are sorted out of premium flower on appearance, not on chemistry — cannabinoid and terpene profiles frequently sit close to the top colas from the same plant.

For popcorn bud submissions, important details include:

• Parent harvest batch and cultivar
• Whether the material was sorted by size or by grade
• Drying and curing status
• Intended use: retail, pre-rolls, or extraction
• Storage conditions since sorting

The higher surface-area-to-mass ratio is what makes these worth testing separately. Small buds dry faster and can sit at a different moisture and water activity than the larger flower graded off the same plant, which changes both the microbial picture and the reported potency.

Common submissions include: smalls, nuglets, sorted popcorn lots, and pre-roll feedstock.

Pre-roll testing applies to finished units of ground flower rolled into papers or cones, typically between 0.5 and 1 gram. Because they are sold as a finished retail unit, the compliance question is what each individual pre-roll delivers, not what the flower measured before rolling.

For pre-roll submissions, important details include:

• Unit weight and units per batch
• Source flower, shake, or trim used in the fill
• Any kief or concentrate added
• Paper, cone, and filter tip materials
• Hand-rolled or machine-rolled production

Fill material is the variable that decides the result. A batch built from graded flower behaves differently from one built on shake, and machine filling distributes more evenly than hand rolling. Paper and tip are part of the submitted article too, and are accounted for when the sample is prepared.

Common submissions include: single pre-rolls, multi-packs, shake-filled units, and filtered cones.