Pesticide testing

Pesticide testing quantifies residual agricultural chemicals — insecticides, fungicides, miticides, plant growth regulators — in cannabis flower, concentrates, and infused products, ensuring they fall below state-defined action limits. California's model is the most cited: the DCC screens 66 pesticides split into Category I (21 compounds) that must be below the limit of detection (action limit 0.1 μg/g) and Category II (45 compounds) with numeric action limits differentiated by inhalable versus non-inhalable products. Category I includes banned or highly toxic compounds like aldicarb, chlorfenapyr, chlorpyrifos, daminozide, methyl parathion, and paclobutrazol. Oregon screens 59 pesticides at less stringent limits; Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, and Massachusetts each maintain separate lists. Labs use LC-MS/MS for polar pesticides and GC-MS/MS for nonpolar thermally stable compounds (chlordane, PCNB), with QuEChERS or acetonitrile sample prep. The consumer-safety stakes are high: myclobutanil, for example, converts to hydrogen cyanide when combusted. Chronic pesticide exposure is linked to neurological, reproductive, endocrine, and carcinogenic effects, and inhalation bypasses hepatic first-pass metabolism. → See also: Testing lab, COA, Heavy metal testing