Cannabis Product Third-Party Testing at March and Ash

Yes, we have a one-of-a-kind store...

with our friendly and educated Cannabis Concierges, and yes, we are a fun group of genuine and relaxed people, BUT at March and Ash, we’re serious about what we do. And what we do is deliver to you premium cannabis products of an unrivaled quality.

In order to ensure that we deliver you the quality weed, edibles, vapes, and concentrates that you deserve, some serious product testing takes place. Your buddy who swears he can tell the THC content and terpene balances just from rolling a nug in his fingers and taking a big dramatic sniff is likely just blowing smoke, and far from the good kind. So, to get around the myth of the marijuana guru, and to ensure that we comply fully with state laws and regulations, as well as to obtain that sweet, sweet California Cannabis Certificate of Analysis, also known as a CoA, we work with an extremely qualified agency called Sequoia Labs.

Now, Sequoia’s been doing this for a while, and they’re also very serious about what they do. While that has the beautiful benefit of making a partnership between March and Ash and Sequoia Labs a natural fit, it also allows us to ensure that you have the most accurate information possible. Sequoia’s tests tell us a lot of things… You can think of the results in a few easy to understand of categories.

The first category for cannabis users to understand in product testing Potency Analysis

Potency Analysis tells us the base levels of how “medical” or “psychoactive” the cannabis in question is. This information comes in the form of showing us the levels of THC, THCa, CBD, CBDa, CBN, and CBG; we’ll get to what those are in just a paragraph or two. While all this information is pretty important to know in order to understand how strong the marijuana you’re using is, it doesn’t tell you where it falls on that fluid scale from sativa to indica, so it’s important that we don’t stop there. But fear not, we don’t.

Question: Sativa or Indica? Answer: Terpene Analysis (and Amino Acid Analysis for good measure)

Though some people may answer, “Yes please,” to the question of sativa or indica, that wasn’t quite good enough for our customers. Instead, we and Sequoia answer that question through a comprehensive Terpene Analysis, as well as some amino acids analysis for good measure. Approximately 140 of the compounds that constitute cannabis are what is called terpenes. Sequoia tests for the 21 major and most active ones, as well as some amino acids that work with them in the crazy cannabis concoctions called the Entourage Effect. Think of the Entourage Effect as the way every compound and chemical in your cannabis works together to get you higher in better ways, and function even more effectively medicinally.

Safety First! Analyzing Pathogens and Bacteria in Cannabis Products

Now, the last three categories are a little less fun, but that doesn’t make them any less important. They all, when you burn down to it, have to do with safety. The first category has to do with pathogens and bacteria, which are less ‘End of the World!’ here than the contexts where we usually hear them. Still, we need to check if there are any there. This screening includes checks for bacteria, mold, and yeast. But the contaminate testing doesn’t stop there, no ma’am, because next Sequoia checks for pesticides. Pesticides are far from something to mess around with, and the potential ways that cannabis can come into contact with them are unfortunately as numerous as they are sketchy. Sequoia makes sure ours is free of them.

Residual Solvent Analysis

Next up on the safety docket is a Residual Solvent analysis. As concentrates became as big a deal as they deserve to be, this test has coattailed its way to recognition of its importance. Just like pesticides, these solvents are far from something you want to mess with, and, unfortunately, these solvents which we avoid can be used to cut corners in production. To make sure they don’t sneak in, Sequoia tests for these solvents, all in the name of the quality cannabis product which March and Ash is all about.

THC, THCa, CBD, CBDa, CBN, and CBG

It may have taken a little longer than expected to get back around to our THC, THCa, CBD, CBDa, CBN, and CBG lesson, but that’s what happens when someone has an important story to tell!

Following a little heat, whether it’s in the form of complex concentrate production or a classy March and Ash lighter, carboxylation changes cannabis compounds into their forms which will get you where you’re trying to go.