Why Heavy Metals Testing Gets Its Own Attention
Building on the full panel testing and pesticide limit content discussed elsewhere in this publication, heavy metals are a safety category where the plant itself matters. Hemp absorbs minerals and metals from soil and water, which means contamination can be present even when no one added it.
The Usual Analytes
Panels typically cover arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, which are the four metals most often named in state and industry standards.
Why Limits Vary
By state. Allowed concentrations differ across jurisdictions, as with pesticide action limits.
By product type. Limits may differ for inhaled, ingested, and topical products, since exposure routes differ.
By how results are expressed. Some standards express limits per gram of product, others per daily dose, which can change whether a result passes.
Concentration Matters
As discussed in the extraction content, processing can concentrate metals from the starting material, so testing both inputs and finished products is wise.
What Buyers Should Do
- Ask which standard the panel was run against
- Confirm reporting limits are low enough to verify the strictest limit you face
- Request results for every batch, not just a representative sample
- Ask about soil and source testing at the farm level
Low Gravity Hemp tests every batch for heavy metals against strict multi-state standards. Contact us to review sample reports.
