How pesticide testing is conducted at Green Leaf Lab

Our pesticide testing process begins with accurate sampling and a thorough preparation process. We perform multiple extraction, clean-up and dilution techniques to prepare the sample for our state of the art instrumentation.

Every pesticide test we perform is run on two instruments, a gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

These instruments, in combination, test for all the analytes listed on Table 1 as required by the states of Oregon and California. The data resulting from these instruments undergoes our strict quality control standards, including multiple steps of review.

Any samples or batches that fail our laboratory’s quality control standards will be either re-prepared or re-diluted and/or re-tested.

State of the Art Pesticide Instrumentation

The GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS instruments utilized for pesticides testing are chromatography instruments with an attached mass spectrometer. Chromatography is the scientific technique of separating a mixture of solvents, pesticides, or other compounds that can be extracted from the cannabis matrix (i.e. cannabinoids, terpenes, and other organic materials).

The procedure of using liquid or gas chromatography for a particular pesticide is determined by the environment that the pesticide is most stable in. Some pesticides destabilize at the high temperature of the GC instrument and are best analyzed via LC, while others destabilize in the liquid phase of the LC instrument and must be analyzed by GC. Due to this variability, to properly test the entire list of required pesticides both methods of chromatography must be used for accurate results and legally defensible data.