Modern CannaThe cannabis industry has a serious trust issue when it comes to lab testing, which is incredibly disappointing. In virtually every other industry, whether it’s pharmaceuticals, food safety, or environmental testing, labs are the beacon of integrity and accuracy. They are relied upon to provide unbiased, scientifically sound data that protects both consumers and businesses. But in cannabis, labs have damaged their own reputation, and now many operators don’t know who to trust.
This is a massive problem. Not just for consumers, but for operators like you – whether you’re a cultivator, processor, retailer, or all of the above. If you genuinely care about making better, safer products and protecting your business long-term, you need a lab that acts as a partner, not just a rubber stamp.
How to Vet Your Third-Party Cannabis Lab
If your lab can’t check these boxes, they are a liability to your business.
- ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation: A False Sense of Security – ISO/IEC 17025 sounds impressive, but without real enforcement, it’s meaningless. Accreditation alone doesn’t ensure compliance. Use this guide to thoroughly vet your lab and insist on proof that their processes align with real regulatory standards.
- Regulatory History – Has your lab ever been fined or sanctioned by regulators? If so, why and what corrective actions have they put in place? This information is public record – you can find it through the cannabis regulatory agency in your state. If your lab has a history of violations, that’s a red flag. 🚩
- Transparency – Does your lab provide full quality control (QC) data along with their Certificates of Analysis (COAs)? Laboratory QC data ensures that instruments and methods are functioning properly, that contamination is not introduced during testing, and that results are accurate, reproducible, and legally defensible. If you have to ask your lab to provide this data, it’s a red flag. 🚩 If they can’t provide it instantly, consider that a double super-duper mega red flag. 🚩🚩
- First-Hand Experience – Have you visited their facility? Have you met their scientific team? If their Lab Director, QA Manager, and top scientists are impossible to reach, that’s a red flag. 🚩
- Industry Expertise – Do they have backgrounds in highly regulated lab testing industries like pharmaceuticals, food, or environmental testing? Or did they magically appear overnight just to capitalize on the cannabis boom? Find out what their owners and personnel were doing before they opened a cannabis lab.
- Instrument & Method Validation – Are they using validated, science-backed methods from established highly regulated lab testing industries? Before committing to a lab, ask to review their testing methods. If they don’t or can’t provide them, that’s a major red flag. 🚩
- Reproducibility – If you submit the same sample twice, do you get the same result? If your lab’s results aren’t consistent, you’re setting yourself up for compliance failures and long-term risk.
- Conflict of Interest – Are they financially tied to operators, brands, or product manufacturers? Labs should be independent. If they’re favoring certain clients, they’re not a real lab – they’re a marketing tool.
- Contaminant Testing Honesty – If a lab tells you your product has contamination, do you immediately run to another lab hoping for a different answer? Ignoring contamination won’t make it go away. Instead, it will only lead to bigger problems down the road.
- Think of contamination like a slow-growing cancer – catch it early and you can prevent a disaster. If you believe the lab introduced the contaminant, ask for their internal QC report and information about their internal processes. A legitimate lab will have quality control measures in place to prove whether the contamination came from them or not.
- If contamination in your facility is a possibility, work with your lab, not against them. A good lab partner won’t just point out a problem and walk away. Instead, they’ll help you trace the source so you can fix it at the root. The sooner you address the issue, the less damage it will cause in the long run.
The Pressure is Building
For years, state regulators have looked the other way. But change is coming. Organizations like ACIL, ASTM, AOAC, and others are gathering data, pushing for enforcement, and making it harder for shady labs to operate.
If you’re still working with a risk-prone lab, you’re rolling the dice with your business. When regulators finally crack down, you don’t want to be caught off guard. The cannabis industry is rapidly evolving, and while enforcement has been lax in some areas, change is coming. The best way to protect your business is to align with a lab that prioritizes accuracy, integrity, and compliance. Choosing the right lab today means safeguarding your business tomorrow.
The Right Lab = Long-Term Success
In the cannabis industry, the lab you choose to work with can either protect your business or put it at risk. Some labs will pass anything to keep their clients happy, ignoring contamination, or manipulating results to make products appear compliant. While this might seem beneficial in the short term, the reality is that these labs do not care about your long-term success. They’ll be gone the moment regulators step in, leaving you to deal with the fallout. The penalties for selling misrepresented or unsafe products can be severe – fines, recalls, lawsuits, and even loss of your license. Meanwhile, the customers who trusted your brand will be the ones consuming unverified, potentially unsafe products, putting public health at risk.
Operators, there are good labs out there, but unfortunately, the bad ones still outnumber them.
It’s up to you to do the work and vet these labs properly. Don’t rely on state agencies to keep them in check, and definitely don’t assume ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation means they’re legit. Accreditation alone does not guarantee a lab is ethical, nor does it mean they follow the highest scientific standards in practice. There are labs with the accreditation stamp that still cut corners, produce inconsistent data, or openly engage in nefarious practices.
At the end of the day, as a cannabis operator, it’s your responsibility to conduct due diligence and ensure you’re partnering with a credible, science-driven lab. Choosing the wrong one could cost you your reputation, your business, and your customers’ trust.
Modern Canna: A Lab That Holds Itself to a Higher Standard
There are cannabis labs out there that prioritize integrity, accuracy, and your long-term success. Labs like Modern Canna exist to protect you from product recalls, litigation, and damage to your reputation while providing the reliable data you need to make informed decisions.
With experience across multiple industries beyond lab testing, we understand the operational and financial pressures you face. We are committed to being a true partner, not just a service provider.
If you’re ready to work with a lab that holds itself to a higher standard, let’s talk.