Cannabis Testing & GMS Quality
As the demand for cannabidiol (CBD) grows in North America, many farmers are looking at growing hemp to supply that demand. The hemp plant which supplies CBD is the plant species Cannabis sativa, which cannot legally contain by compound analysis more than 0.3% THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabial), which is the psychoactive compound found in marijuana that can cause inebriation at higher levels. Marijuana is from the same species of plant Cannabis sativa.
As we can see from the opening discussion, the testing of cannabis to determine whether the THC levels are within legal boundaries is critical for the producer. Also, hemp production is being tested very closely for other qualities because of its use by humans for a wide range of products from medicine to biodegradable plastics. With this wide range of uses of cannabis and its dual plant nature, testing of this plant will be very in depth.
The scientific literature about testing cannabis seems to be focusing on three areas other than the THC analysis for legal status. The three areas of testing seem to focus on safety for human usage. These three areas are pesticide residue, microbial contamination, and heavy metal contents. Of these three areas, Growers Mineral Solutions (GMS) can be very helpful to the producer for heavy metal analysis. (Growers Mineral, Corp.'s experience with livestock forages could help a producer with the microbial contamination testing, but that is a discussion for another day.)
Since 1955, Growers Mineral, Corp. has told farmers that natural contaminants in fertilizer sources can be a problem for microbiological life in the soil. To try to lessen the problem of added heavy metals to soil, GMS is manufactured with raw materials containing less heavy metal contamination.
Therefore, when GMS is used as a fertilizer source in cannabis production, the problem with the concentration of heavy metals in the cannabis tissue is lowered. Technical journals suggest that state governments and private laboratories are focusing on the metal elements arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) which tend to be problematic metals in phosphorus (P) fertilizers or raw materials. These heavy metal elements are natural contaminants in rock phosphate or the mineral apatite.
Growers Mineral, Corp.'s experience with producers using GMS for their cannabis production has been positive with respect to heavy metal testing of cannabis. Any producer who believes heavy metal issues for plant tissue or soil could be a problem needs to contact the local GMS sales representative.
This is an excerpt from the Early Fall Growers Solution (2020) written by Jim Halbeisen.
Signup for our newsletter to stay in the loop
