The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets establishes a Cannabis Quality Control Program under 6 V.S.A. § 567 for the following purposes:
- to develop potency and contaminant testing protocols for hemp and hemp-infused products,
- to verify cannabinoid label guarantees of hemp and hemp-infused products,
- to test for pesticides, solvents, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and bacterial and fungal contaminants in hemp and hemp-infused products, and
- to certify testing laboratories that can offer the services for cannabinoid label guarantees and contaminant testing.
The Cannabis Quality Control Program contains:
- Requirements for becoming a certified laboratory, (pages 4-11)
- Required testing under the Vermont Hemp Rules, (see Table 2)
- Hemp potency and cannabis contaminant action limits, (see Tables 3 -8)
The Vermont Cannabis Quality Control Program is now accepting applications for laboratory certification.
In support of the hemp industry in Vermont, the Hemp Program will certify laboratories used by registrants for compliance purposes. Only a test from a certified laboratory may be used as proof of compliance with the Vermont Hemp Rules.
To begin the process of becoming a certified laboratory, a person must submit a complete application, including necessary documentation, and if a full review- pay the required $1,500 fee. The Program will conduct a pre-application review or a full review of the application materials to ensure the laboratory's accreditations, practices, procedures, and personnel meet the requirements of the Program for the testing area in which the applicant seeks certification. In additon to these standards, a laboratory must also review the Vermont Hemp Rules, be knowledgeable of the testing requirements on hemp crops, hemp concentrates, hemp products, and hemp-infused products, understand contaminants and potency action limits for regulatory compliance, maintain appropriate documentation, and report required information to the Hemp Program.
All laboratories applying for certification must use ISO/IEC 17025 based formats for all hemp/cannabis testing. There are generally three categories of laboratories that are invited to apply for certification. Please review the laboratory certification application guidance for more information.
- Accredited laboratories following the ISO/IEC 17025 format
- Laboratories that have applied for/or are working towards ISO/IEC 17025 based accreditation may also apply but are limited to testing for potency, moisture analysis, and pesticides
- Laboratories located outside Vermont applying for certification, must be accredited based on ISO/IEC 17025 format, and produce hemp/cannabis compliance documentation from its respective state
Certified laboratories are available to test crops and products for compliance with most hemp potency and contaminant action limits. Hemp Program registrants must comply with the Vermont Hemp Rules related to testing hemp crops and products, reporting to the Hemp Program of non-compliance, and maintaining required test records.
Questions about testing, contaminant action limits, and laboratory certification may be emailed to AGR.HempLabCertification@vermont.gov.
In the development of the Cannabis Quality Control Program, the Agency solicted input from a stakeholder group representing existing Vermont laboratories, growers and processors. This group engaged with the Agency on all elements of the Cannabis Quality Control Program, including required application materials and standards, to administrative processes, proficiencies and comtaminant action limits. A summary of the comments and responses is provided, here.
Helpful Resources
- Application for Laboratory Certification
- Laboratory Certification Application Guidance
- Certified laboratories (September 2021)
- Interpreting a Certificate of Analysis, FAQ
- Additional Documentation Requirements for Laboratory Certification
- Vermont Hemp Rules
- Vermont Law Title 6, chapter 34
