Do you grow cannabis at home for medicinal or recreational purposes? If you do, you should thoroughly and rigorously test the marijuana or have professional chemists examine it. Below, we’ll explain why every cannabis home grower should test their plants to ensure they’re safe.
Why Cannabis Testing Is Essential
As more states adopt laws that legalize the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, there’s also a growing industry of people growing cannabis at home. Growing cannabis at home instead of purchasing it offers many advantages to users—but there are also downsides.
One downside is that many cannabis home growers don’t have the equipment or skill set to sufficiently test their cannabis to ensure its safe use. While many cannabis users consider it a safe drug, there are many ways it can be harmful to humans—which is why every cannabis home grower should test their plants before use.
What Cannabis Home Growers Should Test For:
Potency
One of the primary reasons for testing cannabis is to determine its potency. The cannabinoid profile, also known as its strain, dictates the amount of THC in the plant and its overall strength as a drug.
In cannabis, there can be a significant difference in THC between strains; even the same strain can yield different potencies. Cannabis is a plant significantly influenced by its environment and growing conditions—the same strain grown in two locations can produce cannabis of varying strength. Like with any drug, it’s safer to know how strong it is before using it, especially for those who take it for medicinal purposes.
Heavy Metals
Cannabis, like any other plant, draws its nutrients from the soil and air it inhabits. Along with nutrients, cannabis can absorb other things in the soil—like heavy metals. It might surprise you that our soil is often rife with heavy metals that are toxic to us, such as:
- Nickel
- Mercury
- Selenium
- Cadmium
- Lead
- Chromium
- And more
These heavy metals can cause illness in cannabis users if enough gets absorbed into the plant and then the plant gets consumed. That’s why it’s important to test for heavy metals to ensure the marijuana is safe for consumption—just like commercial cannabis growers.
Mold & Bacteria
Along with heavy metals, it’s not uncommon for cannabis to also become hives of bacteria and mold. Marijuana requires certain conditions to grow healthy and strong—including high humidity—which can also create an ideal home for bacteria, fungi, and mildew.
Home growers should always carefully examine their cannabis throughout its growth for any signs of bacterial growth and consider equipment for microbial testing or sending it off to an outside service lab that can ensure its safety.
