Alabama Cannabis Testing Overview

Required (not consumer-facing).

All medical cannabis batches must be tested by a licensed independent laboratory before sale or transfer. A Certificate of Analysis (COA) must be issued and reviewed by the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) and dispensaries. However, COAs are not mandated to be provided directly to patients or caregivers.

Required.

Laboratories must test for:

• Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC)
   
• Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA)
   
• Cannabidiol (CBD)
   
• Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA)
   
• Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV)
   
• Cannabidivarin (CBDV)
   
• Cannabigerol (CBG)
   
• Cannabichromene (CBC)
   
• THC/CBD ratio
   
• %THC by weight
   

Test results must confirm that the strain meets its expected cannabinoid profile.

Not required.

Terpene testing is not mandated under current AMCC rules, and products are not required to disclose terpene content.

Comprehensive panel required.

Per AMCC lab guidance, all products must be tested for:

a. Pesticides:

• Labs must detect and quantify pesticide residues.
   
• Action limits are not published in statute but align with health-based exposure thresholds.
   

b. Microbial Contaminants:

• Required screening includes:
   
  • Total yeast and mold
     
  • Total aerobic bacteria
     
  • Escherichia coli (E. coli)
     
  • Salmonella spp.
     
  • Aspergillus species

• Some pathogens (e.g., Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum, Shigella spp.) are not specifically named but may be covered under broader microbial categories.

c. Mycotoxins:

• Aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2) and Ochratoxin A are expected; testing for additional mycotoxins like zearalenone is not explicitly required.
   

d. Heavy Metals:

• Required metals include:
   
  • Arsenic
     
  • Lead
     
  • Mercury
     
  • Cadmium
     

                    However, Chromium, Nickel, Barium, Selenium, and Silver are not specifically listed.

e. Foreign Materials:

• No explicit standard exists for filth (e.g., hair, insects, sand), but AMCC allows labs to document and flag such issues. Not yet a defined pass/fail criterion

The following gaps remain:

• No terpene testing
   
• No defined standards for:
   
  • Chromium, Nickel, Silver, Barium, Selenium
     
  • Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella spp., Clostridium botulinum
     
  • Filth/foreign materials
     
  • Additional mycotoxins beyond aflatoxins and ochratoxin A

Moderate Concern:

While Alabama’s testing framework is now in place and being implemented, some contaminant categories lack specificity, and COAs are not consumer-facing. Enforcement, lab oversight, and analytical consistency remain early-stage. 

 Required.

• Water activity (aw): must be ≤0.65
   
• Moisture content: must be ≤13%

Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC)

Website: https://amcc.alabama.gov

Email: info@amcc.alabama.gov

Phone: (334) 850-7801

Address: 770 Washington Avenue, Suite 210, Montgomery, AL 36130

Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. (2021). Medical Cannabis Act 2021-450. Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries. https://agi.alabama.gov/hemp/medicalcannabisact/agi.alabama.gov+1agi.alabama.gov+1

Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. (2023). Cannabis Business Applicants. https://amcc.alabama.gov/cannabis-business-applicants/Alabama 

Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. (2024, November). Chapter 538-X-10: Regulation of State Testing Laboratories. https://amcc.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Chapter_538-X-10.pdfAlabama 

Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. (2025, February 19). Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission Opens Offering for State Testing Laboratory Licenses. https://amcc.alabama.gov/2960/alabama-medical-cannabis-commission-opens-offering-for-state-testing-laboratory-licenses/Alabama 

Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. (2025, April 10). Law and Rules. https://amcc.alabama.gov/about/resources/