Marijuana Concentrates (Mechanical)
Trichome-rich material separated by sieving and pressing, with no solvent used at any stage.
What We Test
Marijuana Concentrates (Mechanical)
Mechanical concentrates are made by physically separating resin glands from plant material rather than dissolving them out. That removes residual solvent from the panel, but it does not remove anything else: sieving concentrates whatever the plant already carried, so pesticide and heavy metal residues rise alongside the cannabinoids. Material that passed at flower concentration can fail once sifted, which is why each of these is tested as its own batch.
Products in this category
Kief testing applies to trichome heads separated from plant material by dry sifting, with no solvent involved at any stage. Because the resin glands are concentrated and the leaf matter is largely screened out, potency typically lands between 40% and 60% THC — several times the flower it started as.
For kief submissions, important details include:
- Screen micron size used during sifting
- Source material: whole flower, trim, or shake
- Number of sift passes and grade collected
- Whether heat or pressure was applied after collection
- Storage temperature and container type
Sieving concentrates whatever was already on the plant, so pesticide and heavy metal residues rise alongside the cannabinoids. A flower lot that passed at low concentration can fail once sifted, which is why kief is tested as its own batch rather than inheriting the source result.
Common submissions include: dry sift, pollen, grade-separated kief, and press-ready collections.
Shake and duff testing applies to the loose material that accumulates at the bottom of containers as flower is handled, moved, and stored. It is a mix of broken bud, stem fragments, leaf, and free trichomes, which makes it the least uniform matrix in the category.
For shake and duff submissions, important details include:
- Source lots the material was collected from
- Whether stems and larger leaf were screened out
- Accumulated collection period
- Intended use: pre-rolls, extraction, or infusion
- Storage conditions during accumulation
Composition drives the result here more than in any other flower product. Trichome-rich fines push potency up; stem and leaf pull it down, and the same container can vary top to bottom. Homogenising the sample before subsampling is what makes the certificate representative of the lot rather than of one scoop.
Common submissions include: collection shake, container duff, screened fines, and pre-roll feedstock.
Trim testing applies to the leaf, stem, and small bud material removed while finishing flower at harvest. Trichome density is lower than on the bud, so cannabinoid content sits well below the flower it came off, but the material still carries enough value to feed extraction and infusion.
For trim submissions, important details include:
- Wet or dry trim, and moisture at submission
- Sugar leaf versus fan leaf proportion
- Harvest batch the trim originated from
- Hand-trimmed or machine-trimmed
- Intended downstream process
Trim matters most as an input, not a finished good. Anything the plant took up during cultivation is still present, and extraction concentrates it — so a residue that reads low in trim can exceed limits in the concentrate made from it. Testing at this stage catches the problem before it is multiplied.
Common submissions include: sugar leaf, machine trim, hand trim, and mixed harvest trim.
Kief
Kief testing applies to trichome heads separated from plant material by dry sifting, with no solvent involved at any stage. Because the resin glands are concentrated and the leaf matter is largely screened out, potency typically lands between 40% and 60% THC — several times the flower it started as.
For kief submissions, important details include:
- Screen micron size used during sifting
- Source material: whole flower, trim, or shake
- Number of sift passes and grade collected
- Whether heat or pressure was applied after collection
- Storage temperature and container type
Sieving concentrates whatever was already on the plant, so pesticide and heavy metal residues rise alongside the cannabinoids. A flower lot that passed at low concentration can fail once sifted, which is why kief is tested as its own batch rather than inheriting the source result.
Common submissions include: dry sift, pollen, grade-separated kief, and press-ready collections.
Shake & Duff
Shake and duff testing applies to the loose material that accumulates at the bottom of containers as flower is handled, moved, and stored. It is a mix of broken bud, stem fragments, leaf, and free trichomes, which makes it the least uniform matrix in the category.
For shake and duff submissions, important details include:
- Source lots the material was collected from
- Whether stems and larger leaf were screened out
- Accumulated collection period
- Intended use: pre-rolls, extraction, or infusion
- Storage conditions during accumulation
Composition drives the result here more than in any other flower product. Trichome-rich fines push potency up; stem and leaf pull it down, and the same container can vary top to bottom. Homogenising the sample before subsampling is what makes the certificate representative of the lot rather than of one scoop.
Common submissions include: collection shake, container duff, screened fines, and pre-roll feedstock.
Trim
Trim testing applies to the leaf, stem, and small bud material removed while finishing flower at harvest. Trichome density is lower than on the bud, so cannabinoid content sits well below the flower it came off, but the material still carries enough value to feed extraction and infusion.
For trim submissions, important details include:
- Wet or dry trim, and moisture at submission
- Sugar leaf versus fan leaf proportion
- Harvest batch the trim originated from
- Hand-trimmed or machine-trimmed
- Intended downstream process
Trim matters most as an input, not a finished good. Anything the plant took up during cultivation is still present, and extraction concentrates it — so a residue that reads low in trim can exceed limits in the concentrate made from it. Testing at this stage catches the problem before it is multiplied.
Common submissions include: sugar leaf, machine trim, hand trim, and mixed harvest trim.
