Utah Cannabis Testing Overview
COA Requirement:
Required.
All cannabis must be tested by an independent laboratory and reported via a Certificate of Analysis (COA) prior to transfer or sale. COAs must include potency and contaminant results.
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Required.
All final products must be tested for:
- Total THC = Δ⁹-THC + (THCA × 0.877)
- Total CBD = CBD + CBDA
- Any known THC analogs (e.g., Δ⁸-THC, THCV)
- THC-OAc: Small amounts permitted without failing QA testing
Terpene Testing Requirements:
Not required.
Terpenes may appear on labels if tested, but terpene testing is not mandated.
Contaminants Tested For:
Required for all cannabis and cannabis products.
a. Pesticides: Required.
- Over 60 pesticides must be tested, including:
- Myclobutanil, Paclobutrazol, Daminozide, DDVP, Bifenthrin, Imazalil
- Action levels: generally, 0.2 to 2 ppm
- List and limits found in Table 3, pages 5–7
b. Mycotoxins: Required for concentrates; conditional for other products.
- Aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2): ≤20 ppb
- Ochratoxin A: ≤20 ppb
c. Microbial Contaminants: Required.
- For flower:
- Total aerobic count: ≤100,000 CFU/g
- E. coli, Salmonella, Aspergillus spp.: Must be absent
d. Heavy Metals: Required for all product types.
- Arsenic: <2 ppm
- Cadmium: <0.82 ppm
- Lead: <1.2 ppm
- Mercury: <0.4 ppm
e. Foreign Matter: Fails testing if:
- Visible contamination (e.g., hair, insects)
- 3% microscopic contamination by mass
- Suspected intentional adulterants
Contaminants Not Required (But of Concern):
- Terpenes: not mandated
- Chromium, Nickel, Selenium: not tested under heavy metals panel
- Shigella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, or Clostridium botulinum: not mentioned
Risk Level:
Low Concern:
Utah has a rigorous, well-documented testing regime with clearly defined thresholds across all major categories. Only terpene and a few microbial gaps remain.
Moisture and Water Activity:
Required.
- aw: must be ≤0.65
- Moisture content must be recorded on COA as a percentage
State Cannabis Regulatory Agency:
Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF): Cannabis Program
Website: https://ag.utah.gov
Phone: (801) 982-2200
Address: 4315 S 2700 W, Taylorsville, UT 84129
Email: cannabis@utah.govAP
References:
Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. (2024, April 15). Utah State Bulletin, Vol. 2024, No. 8. https://rules.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/b20240415.pdf
Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. (2024). R66-3: Quality Assurance Testing on Cannabis. https://rules.utah.gov/public/rule/R66-3/Current%20RulesUtah