Services & Pricing

Pricing

Full Compliance Test (flower, concentrates, edibles, topicals, etc.) $380
Our Full Cannabis Compliance Test includes testing for cannabinoid potency, 42 panel terpene profile, heavy metals, microbials, pesticides, mycotoxins, foreign matter/filth screening, water activity/moisture content, and residual solvents for extracts.
FLOWER
Conglomerate Contaminants Compliance or CCC Test $240
multi-strain safety test for smaller batches summing up to a 10 lb batch (maximum of 3 strains). Includes testing for heavy metals, microbials, pesticides, mycotoxins, foreign matter/filth screening, water activity/moisture content
CCC Potency, Terpenes, and Yeast and Mold $120 per strain
Includes testing for cannabinoid potency, 42 panel terpene profile
CONCENTRATES
Conglomerate Contaminants Compliance or CCC Test $240
multi-strain safety test for smaller batches summing up to a 10 lb batch (maximum of 3 strains). Includes testing for heavy metals, microbials, pesticides, mycotoxins, foreign matter/filth screening, water activity/moisture content
CCC Terpene, Potency, and Solvent Test $120 per strain
Includes testing for cannabinoid potency, 42 panel terpene profile, and residual solvents
Potency Advisory $50
11 panel Cannabinoid profile
What is a cannabinoid?
Terpene Advisory $65
42 panel terpene profile
What is a terpene?
Pesticide Advisory $120
13 panel pesticide test for (Avermectin B1a + Avermectin B1b) = Abamectin, Azoxystrobin, Bifenazate, Etoxazole, Imazalil (Enilconazole), Imidacloprid, Malathion, Myclobutanil, Permethrin, (Spinosyn A + Spinosyn D) = Spinosad, Spiromesifen, Spirotetramat, and Tebuconazole
What is a pesticide?
Microbials Advisory $80
test for total aerobic bacteria, yeast and molds, E. coli, and Salmonella
What is a microbiological?
Heavy Metals Advisory $75
test for arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury
What is a heavy metal?
Mycotoxin Advisory $60
test for total aflotoxins and Ochratoxins
Residual Solvent Advisory $65
Residual Solvent Advisory
What is a residual solvent?
Rapid Yeast and Mold Test $20
Water Activity and Moisture % $20

Pricing

Full Compliance Test (flower, concentrates, edibles, topicals, etc.) $380
includes testing for cannabinoid potency, 42 panel terpene profile, heavy metals, microbials, pesticides, mycotoxins, foreign matter/filth screening, water activity/moisture content, and residual solvents for extracts.
FLOWER
Conglomerate Contaminants Compliance or CCC Test $240
multi-strain safety test for smaller batches summing up to a 10 lb batch (maximum of 3 strains). Includes testing for heavy metals, microbials, pesticides, mycotoxins, foreign matter/filth screening, water activity/moisture content
CCC Potency, Terpenes, and Yeast and Mold $120 per strain
Includes testing for cannabinoid potency, 42 panel terpene profile
CONCENTRATES
Conglomerate Contaminants Compliance or CCC Test $240
multi-strain safety test for smaller batches summing up to a 10 lb batch (maximum of 3 strains). Includes testing for heavy metals, microbials, pesticides, mycotoxins, foreign matter/filth screening, water activity/moisture content
CCC Terpene, Potency, and Solvent Test $120 per strain
Includes testing for cannabinoid potency, 42 panel terpene profile, and residual solvents
Potency Advisory $50
11 panel Cannabinoid profile
What is a cannabinoid?
Terpene Advisory $65
42 panel terpene profile
What is a terpene?
Pesticide Advisory $120
13 panel pesticide test for (Avermectin B1a + Avermectin B1b) = Abamectin, Azoxystrobin, Bifenazate, Etoxazole, Imazalil (Enilconazole), Imidacloprid, Malathion, Myclobutanil, Permethrin, (Spinosyn A + Spinosyn D) = Spinosad, Spiromesifen, Spirotetramat, and Tebuconazole
What is a pesticide?
Microbials Advisory $80
test for total aerobic bacteria, yeast and molds, E. coli, and Salmonella
What is a microbiological?
Heavy Metals Advisory $75
test for arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury
What is a heavy metal?
Mycotoxin Advisory $60
test for total aflotoxins and Ochratoxins
Residual Solvent Advisory $65
Residual Solvent Advisory
What is a residual solvent?
Rapid Yeast and Mold Test $20
Water Activity and Moisture % $20

Terpenes

At Highgrade Labs, we detect and quantify 42 different terpenoid compounds. The chromatography is performed on an Agilent 7890B GC-FID. During this analysis, the goal is to first separate the terpenes (analytes) from the rest of the matrix, and then to quantify each detected terpene. The GC-FID accomplishes this by first injecting a small amount of liquid sample into the column inlet. The liquid is vaporized into a gas, which then flows through the capillary column where the separation occurs. Finally, the Flame Ionization Detector (FID) measures the amount of each individual terpene as they come off the column. The results are then analyzed by the staff to get both the total % by weight of terpenes, and the relative concentrations of each terpene present in the sample.

Residual Solvents

Residual solvents testing is done on an Agilent 7890B HS-GC-MS. The goal of the residual solvents testing is to detect and quantify any solvent in a cannabis extract that may be left over from the extraction process. Some of the solvents tested for include butane, propane, and isopropanol. The instrument operates in a very similar fashion to the GF-FID used for terpenes, with a few changes. The “HS” stands for head space, which the method of injecting the sample. The sample is heated in an oven in order to vaporize components of the sample into the air within the sample vial. The injector then pulls from the air above the sample, which is now a mixture of air and vaporized sample. This mixture is then separated on a capillary column, and quantified by a mass spectrometer. The final results are reported in parts per million. A sample must be below a certain limit (set by OMMA) of each solvent in order to pass this test.

Pesticides

We currently provide testing for the 13 pesticides that OMMA requires: Abamectin (Avermectin B1a & B1b), Azoxystrobin, Bifenazate, Etoxazole, Imazalil, Imidacloprid, Malathion, Myclobutanil, Permethrin, Spinosad (Spinosyn A & D), Spiromesifen, Spirotetramat, and Tebuconazole. Testing for pesticides is conducted on a 6470 LCMS Triple Quadrupole from Agilent. The liquid chromatography helps to separate the pesticides present in samples from one another, similar to how the HPLC separates cannabinoids. The triple quadrupole mass spectrometer then vaporizes the liquid sample into a gas, and the ions generated from this sample are analyzed to determine how much of each pesticide (if any) is present in the sample. The mass spectrometer’s triple quadrupole has the ability to detect each pesticide down to the miniscule amount of 2 parts per billion. The OMMA has a set limit for the amount of pesticides that can be present in a cannabis sample and in order to pass this test, all 13 pesticides must be below that limit.

Microbiologicals

We perform the total aerobic bacteria count, rapid yeast and mold, and E.coli tests using Petrifilm plates by 3M. The samples get prepared and diluted by 100 times with a buffer solution. Once plated on the Petrifilm they go into a specific temperature controlled incubators for 48 hours. Each sample is then counted for colony forming units and reported on Confident Cannabis. The salmonella tests are performed on a 3M MDS system. The samples need to be enriched for 24 hours before being tested. The samples get transferred into microcentrifuge tubes and get loaded and ran in the MDS system.

We perform mycotoxin testing along side pesticide testing on a 6470 LCMS Triple Quadrupole from Agilent. We currently test for total Aflatoxins (Aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, & G2) and total Ochratoxins (Ochratoxin A). Both of these mycotoxins are produced by the fungus Aspergillus.

Heavy Metals

Heavy metals testing is performed on a 7800 ICP-MS from Agilent. This instrument creates plasma (the fourth state of matter) by circulating, heating, and igniting argon gas in a vacuum. All samples are prepared and extracted using acid-assisted microwave digestion, on a Milestone Ethos Up, to dissolve the sample before being placed on the ICP-MS. The sample is then pumped, nebulized, and sent through the beam of plasma. This process causes the release off of ions of select heavy metals to be detected by the mass spectrometer. All samples submitted for analysis are tested for Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury, and Lead.

Cannabinoids

We provide potency testing for 11 cannabinoids: THCA, THC-Δ9, THC-Δ8, THCV, CBDA, CBD, CBDV, CBGA, CBG, CBC, and CBN. Cannabis samples are extracted using a methanol solution and are analyzed using a 1260 Infinity II HPLC with a diode array detector from Agilent. The HPLC uses solutions (called mobile phases) to carry small amounts of the extracted sample through a column. The column separates the cannabinoids based on their molecular structure and as these molecules pass through the diode array detector, a response is given based on how much of each molecule is present in the sample. The higher the response, the higher the concentration. Results for cannabinoids are generally reported as % by weight, with the exception of ingestibles, which are typically reported as mg/dose.