The demand for cannabis testing kits has been on an increase over the past few years. These kits are used by growers and consumers to test the potency of cannabis products. Testing for this product potency is important for both the consumers and growers. This is because the test helps them know the THC content and overall potency or strength of the cannabis product. In this article, we will highlight some of the factors influencing cannabis potency and the reasons why it is important to test for it in these products.
Reasons Why You Should Test For Cannabis Potency
The use of marijuana in the medical field as a relief for some complications, such as cancer is slowly gaining approval around the world. But for this application, the product to be used by the patients must meet some quality standards regarding its THC and CBD levels. However, due to the lack of proper testing, some of the patients using marijuana for pain relief end up experiencing negative side effects.
According to statistics from the US Federal Government, the average levels of THC in marijuana products currently sold in the country have increased nearly 25 times and that of CBD has degraded in the past few decades. This means that the potency of the product and its THC contents have increased.
For this reason, it is important to test the cannabis products you purchase with a cannabis testing kit before using it to avoid any critical health conditions.
Factors Influencing Cannabis’s Potency
Several factors influence the potency of cannabis products. Below are some of them:
- Climatic conditions
Climate plays a crucial role in enhancing the potency of cannabis. This is because it affects temperature, soil, UV rays, humidity, and light, all of which contribute to the overall strength or potency of cannabis.
- Genetics of the plant
The THC content of cannabis is not uniform across the whole plant. In other words, the content of this compound in the leaves is not of the same level as in the stalk or roots. The parts of this plant that have the highest content are the flowering heads and surrounding leaves. The potency of this plant’s compounds is influenced by the environmental conditions, sex of the plant, and harvest time. In general, the roots contain less than 0.03% of THC, the stalk 0.1-0.3%, leaves 1-2%, and flowers 10-12% of this compound.
The two other factors that affect cannabis product potency are cultivation and the type of product. Therefore, before using a cannabis product, makes sure you test it using a testing kit.
