New Test Identifies Hemp-Derived Delta-8, Delta-10 THC Extracts
To deliver the most accurate potency results, ACS Laboratory, the largest hemp and cannabis testing facility in the eastern U.S., has developed the “Potency 12” test to identify hemp-derived Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC extracts. A DEA-licensed laboratory, ACS Laboratory is one of few in the country with access to the required standards for testing Delta-10 THC.
“ACS Laboratory’s Potency 12 test is a completely different method from the industry standard because it specifically targets and separates Delta-8, Delta-9, and Delta-10 THC,” said Aixia Sun, D.H.Sc., M.Sc., B.Sc., MT(AAB), ACS Laboratory principal scientist and certified cannabis lab director. “Many labs cannot test Delta-10 without a DEA license and often misidentify lesser-known analytes as Delta-9 in the process.”
Delta-9 is a Schedule I illicit substance that cannot exceed 0.3% in hemp products, while Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC remain unregulated and in high-demand. Delta-8 is becoming exceedingly popular due to its distinct psychoactive effects and ability to bind with different receptors, leaving a person feeling relaxed but not confused. Delta-10 offers euphoria and increased focus, without the paranoia some users report from Delta-9. Hemp companies are rapidly developing Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC extracts, which they’re bottling or infusing into edibles.
“The problem is Delta-9 and Delta-8 THC are positional isomers, making it difficult for laboratories to separate the two during testing,” Sun said. “Two Delta-10 THC stereoisomers are also challenges because they are so elusive that laboratories often misidentify them for CBC or CBL using the industry-standard methodology.
“If third-party laboratories cannot distinguish Delta-8, Delta-9, and Delta-10, they may produce false results that turn a safe, unregulated product into an illicit drug,” said Roger Brown, president and founder of ACS Laboratory. “At ACS Laboratory, our newly developed Potency 12 test is much a slower and more complicated method, but well worth the effort to provide the most accurate results.”
ACS Laboratory is committed to innovation, which is why it analyzes more cannabinoids than most laboratories in the country and continuously develops new safety tests to ensure extracts are free from residual solvents. ACS Laboratory’s Potency 12 Test is an add-on to the (full panel potency 11) that quantifies 12 total cannabinoids: Delta-10 THC, Delta-9 THC, Delta-8 THC, THCA, THCV, CBD, CBDA, CBDV, CBG, CBGA, CBC, and CBN.
“As the hemp industry evolves, laboratories must continuously re-evaluate methods to ensure they are producing valid results,” Brown said. “Laboratories who fail to rise to the occasion will ultimately put their clients at risk.”
An ISO 17025 accredited, DEA licensed, and CLIA licensed accredited laboratory, ACS Laboratory offers the largest testing facility in cannabis and hemp testing in the eastern U.S. It is on a mission to support cannabis companies in their pursuit to deliver clean, safe, and innovative products that promote positive progress in the industry. ACS Laboratory is continually enhancing its testing methodologies and developing new tests for harmful toxins and therapeutic terpenes, and minor cannabinoids.
