Ensure Patients Are Not Exposed to Unsafe Levels of Microorganisms
Microbial screening safeguards patient health. We conduct a detailed genomic screening for microbial species including human pathogens using qPCR and qPCR with Free DNA removal to determine live microbial contamination. We also use sophisticate plating methods to determine the quantity of colony-forming units per gram.
Contaminating microorganisms can be introduced from:
Microorganisms can propagate and be spread due to poor management of:
Pick a Winner
Choose a cannabis strain that easily adapts to your growing environment. It is better to avoid delicate varieties to achieve diversity than to end up with unhealthy plants.
Air Circulation
Yeast and mold are responsible for most microbial testing failures of cannabis strains. Fungi typically grows in damp or humid areas, and in pools of water, and can be spread through spores in the air or by touch. Most growers find the best defense is to create and maintain clean air circulation, with HEPA or filtered HVAC systems, to keep mold spores below contamination causing thresholds.
Easy Does It on the Nutrients
Dense vegetative growth from the overuse of nitrogen fertilizers creates soft plant tissue that is more susceptible to pest and fungal diseases.
Manage Humidity
Growing large amounts of cannabis indoors elevates humidity levels. While cannabis thrives in 80% to 100% humidity immediately after clone cutting, and in 65% to 70% humidity during the vegetative stage, humidity over 50% is dangerous to flowers during the bloom cycle.
Indoor humidity levels can be controlled using a dehumidifier or high powered exhaust fan controlled by a built-in humidistat or stand-alone atmospheric controller.
Don’t Overwater
Waterlogged soil can take days, if not an entire week, to dry. Drenched soil drowns the root zone, depleting it of oxygen.
While plants can amass ample problem-causing microbial elements, most problems arise post-harvest; after the plant is cut, during trimming, drying, and packaging.
Trimming
Cutting, trimming, and harvesting create wounds that compromises the plant’s immune system and opportunities for molds and yeasts to take hold and spread. Finely chopped stems and leaves, or plant trim, is particularly susceptible to mold when it is moist, so growers would be wise to physically isolate cuttings from budding flowers.
Drying / Curing
Growers can trim the leaves and stems from the plant after it is hung and dried so wounds are not created while the plant is wet. Drying flowers faster can also lower the risk of mold, but at a cost to the product’s flavor.
Above all, take extra care when handling plants. Fingers, clippers, and packaging can all expose plants to yeast and mold. Development and adherence to excellent sanitary practices can help ensure your buds pass our rigorous safety tests.
Cannabis is an extremely hardy plant partly because of its natural ability to fend off microbial invasions. As with humans, its innate immune system can be compromised by stress, disease, invaders, and open wounds or cuts. Keeping plants healthy during the growing and flowering cycles and curing plants properly after harvest minimizes microbes in the plant material.