Residual Solvents

Overview

Concentrated cannabis products made using a solvent must be purged at the end of the extraction process. Trace amounts of the solvent used can remain even after purging, and high concentrations of certain solvents can be harmful if consumed. Screening for residual solvents is required only for cannabis products made using a solvent-based extraction method. The amount of residual solvent left in a cannabis concentrate must be shown to be below the allowable limit for your state in milligrams, which varies for each applicable solvent.

Testing Method

Headspace Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection (HS-GC-FID)

Scope of Test

• n-Butane
• Ethanol
• Hexane
• Isobutane
• Propane