New York Cannabis Testing Overview
COA Requirement:
Required.
Every batch of cannabis or cannabis product must be tested by an approved laboratory, and the results must be documented in a Certificate of Analysis (COA). The COA must be linked to the product via QR code on the label.
Cannabinoid Testing:
Required.
All products must be tested for:
- Total THC = (THCA × 0.877) + Δ⁹-THC
- Total CBD = (CBDA × 0.877) + CBD
Additional cannabinoids required:
- Δ⁸-THC
- Δ¹⁰-THC
- THCV
- CBN
- CBG
- CBGA
- CBC
- CBDV
- Other marketed cannabinoids (if claimed)
Terpene Testing:
Required for adult-use products; pending for medical. As of 2025:
- Adult-use: Required for all product types.
- Medical: Will be required once the updated Part 113 regulations are fully adopted.
- Terpenes must not exceed 10% by weight in inhalable products.
Contaminants Tested For:
All major categories required.
a. Microbiological Contaminants:
- Salmonella spp. – Must be absent
- Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) – Must be absent
- Aspergillus fumigatus, flavus, niger, terreus – Must be absent
- Total Viable Aerobic Bacteria & Yeast/Mold:
- Report-only for unextracted flower
- ≤10⁴ CFU/g for concentrates, ≤10⁵ for medical flower
b. Mycotoxins:
- Total Aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2): <0.020 µg/g
- Ochratoxin A: <0.020 µg/g
c. Heavy Metals:
- Lead: ≤0.5 µg/g
- Arsenic: ≤0.2 (inhalation) / 1.5 (oral)
- Cadmium, Mercury, Chromium, Copper, Nickel, Antimony also tested
d. Filth and Foreign Matter: Required for flower and kief (but not for pre-rolls).
- Mammalian excreta: ≤1 mg/lb
- Stems >3mm: ≤5% by weight
- Other foreign matter: ≤2%
e. Pesticides: Required. 60+ named analytes including:
- Myclobutanil
- DDVP (Dichlorvos)
- Paclobutrazol
- Daminozide
- Azoxystrobin
- Chlorpyrifos
Each with strict ppm limits. Pesticide use must be declared and tested accordingly.
Contaminants Not Required (But of Concern):
Filth and foreign matter testing is NOT required for not pre-rolls.
Otherwise, New York tests for all categories, including foreign matter and obscure pesticide classes.
Moisture and Water Activity:
Required.
- Water Activity:
- Flower: ≤0.65
- Moisture Content:
- Flower: must be ≤15.0%
Risk Levels:
Low Concern:
New York has one of the most comprehensive and specific testing programs in the U.S., with aggressive enforcement of limits for microbial, chemical, and physical hazards.
State Cannabis Regulatory Agency:
New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM)
Website: https://cannabis.ny.gov
Email: labs@ocm.ny.gov
Phone: (888) 626-5151
Address: 1220 Washington Ave., Building 9, Albany, NY 12226
References:
New York State Department of Health Division of Environmental Health Sciences. (May 27, 2021). Determination of Natural Pyrethrins in Medical Marijuana Products using Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.
New York State Department of Health Division of Environmental Health Sciences. (May 27, 2021). Determination of the Pesticide Myclobutanil and the Synergist Piperonyl Butoxide in Medical Marijuana using LC-MS/MS with positive ion detection.
New York Codes, Rules, and Regulation. (August 21, 2019) New York Codes, Section 1004.12 Laboratory testing requirement for medical marihuana.
New York Office of Cannabis Management. (2025, February 26). Cannabis Testing Limits for Adult-Use and Medical Products.