Pesticide screening plays a critical role in cannabis and hemp testing. Cannabis readily absorbs chemicals from its environment, so pesticides can remain in finished products at unsafe levels. Comprehensive pesticide testing with third-party labs such as ACS Laboratory enables brands to detect contamination early, meet regulatory requirements, and safeguard consumer health.

This article explains the most common pesticides used in cultivation, the dangers of ingesting them, and how pesticide testing with an accredited laboratory helps maintain quality across all product types.

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What Are Pesticides?

A pesticide is any substance that can prevent, destroy, or repel pests harmful to plants, including insects, rodents, fungi, weeds, and other organisms and viruses. A pesticide can also be any substance used to regulate plant growth, such as leaf-removing and drying agents or chemicals used to kill weeds.  

Pesticides are common and legal in farming and agriculture. Hemp and cannabis are no exception. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a long list of acceptable pesticide ingredients that it has determined are safe at low levels.

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Why Pesticide Screening Matters

Pesticide screening protects consumers and ensures cannabis and hemp products meet state and federal safety requirements.

State regulators strictly limit allowable pesticide residues. For example, Florida, Oregon, Utah, and California regulate 60-plus pesticide compounds and require manufacturers to submit their products—including cannabis flowers, edibles, concentrates, and other consumables—to a state-licensed cannabis testing laboratory. Colorado regulates 102 pesticides. All products must be certified for compliance testing before being sold legally.

Pesticide screening supports three core priorities:

• protects consumer health and safety
• ensures state and federal compliance
• reduces brand and financial risk

Without proactive testing, pesticide contamination often remains undetected until products fail compliance or reach consumers.

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What Pesticide Screening Detects

Pesticide screening identifies chemical residues from multiple pesticide classes used during cultivation and handling. ACS Laboratory screens for compounds that commonly appear in cannabis and hemp products due to agricultural application, environmental exposure, or cross-contamination.

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Insecticides 

Insecticides kill one or more insect species and may also kill their larvae and eggs. They work by targeting and disrupting vital biological processes in insects, such as their nervous system, growth, or feeding behavior, leading to their death or incapacitation. 

This pesticide class typically contains synthetic or natural chemicals like organophosphates (chemical substances that impede the nervous system in pests), pyrethroids (organic compounds similar to the natural pyrethrins found in some chrysanthemum flowers), and carbamates (which also affect the nervous system) 

Active insecticide ingredients that pesticide testing can uncover include:

• Azadirachtin, the active ingredient in neem oil. This naturally occurring pesticide found in seeds of the neem tree is one of the most successful in agricultural use worldwide.
• Piperonyl butoxide (PBO), an artificial pesticide synergist. Growers often combine PBO with natural pyrethroids to increase their effectiveness.
• Chlorpyrifos, a broad-spectrum organophosphate insecticide that inhibits acetylcholinesterase, affecting the nervous system of insects.
• Acephate, an organophosphate insecticide used to control a wide range of pests by disrupting their nervous systems.
• Diazinon, another organophosphate insecticide that interferes with the normal functioning of the nervous system in insects.

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Acaricides

Acaricides target and disrupt the biological processes of mites and ticks, often affecting their nervous system or growth, leading to their death or inability to reproduce. They typically contain active ingredients designed to control acarine pests.

• Bifenthrin, a member of the pyrethroid family, is a common pesticide used to “bomb” indoor grow rooms to kill spider mites between cultivation cycles. 

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Fungicides

Fungicides inhibit the growth and reproduction of fungi and their spores, disrupting critical cellular processes such as membrane function, energy production, and DNA synthesis. They typically contain active ingredients that prevent fungal pathogens from damaging plant tissues, inhibiting photosynthesis, and compromising overall plant health.

• Boscalid and bixafen are common fungicides found during cannabis pesticide testing. 
  

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Other pesticide classes

Pesticide screening may also detect:

• herbicides used for weed control
• disinfectants and antimicrobials
• plant growth regulators and soil treatments
  
  

Which Products Face the Highest Pesticide Risk

Flower is most likely to contain pesticides because it is directly exposed to them during cultivation. However, concentrates and extracts can also contain significant pesticide residues, as the extraction process can concentrate any pesticides present in the cannabis plant. This makes products such as oils, waxes, and shatter particularly susceptible to elevated pesticide residue levels if the source material is contaminated.

Products most likely to contain pesticide residues include:

• smokable flower
• extracts and concentrates
• vape oils and cartridges
• edibles and beverages
• topicals and transdermal products

Even trace contamination in biomass can become significant once processors extract cannabinoids and terpenes.

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Health Risks of Pesticide Exposure

Pesticide exposure can pose health risks when products contain residues above safety limits. Repeated exposure through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact may increase those risks over time. (source)

Health effects vary by pesticide, but many can affect the nervous system, hormone system, liver, kidneys, or digestive tract. (source)

Common symptoms may include:

• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Skin irritation
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Confusion

Some pesticides have also been linked to more serious concerns, including neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, reproductive harm, and certain cancers. (source)

Different Pesticides Create Different Risks

The health effects of pesticide exposure depend on the specific compound involved.

• Insecticides can affect nerve and brain function. (source)
• Pyrethroids may disrupt the nervous system and hormone regulation. (source)
• Fungicides can interfere with cellular energy production, potentially affecting the heart, brain, muscles, and digestive tract. (source)
• Herbicides may impact multiple organ systems, including the liver, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. (source)

Because pesticide risks vary widely, comprehensive pesticide screening helps manufacturers identify contaminants before products reach consumers.

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How ACS Laboratory Performs Pesticide Screening

ACS Laboratory uses advanced analytical technology to screen hemp and cannabis for unsafe pesticide levels. The laboratory applies dual-platform confirmation to identify and quantify residues at extremely low detection limits.

Advanced analytical methods

ACS uses:

• gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GCMS)
• ultra high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

Technicians extract pesticides from samples into a solvent, then ionize and analyze the compounds based on their molecular characteristics and retention times. This dual-confirmation approach ensures accurate identification and quantification at extremely low detection limits.

Panel coverage by state

ACS screens for up to 105 pesticides, depending on state requirements:

• Florida: 68 pesticides
• Utah: 66 pesticides
• Colorado: 102 pesticides

The lab performs pesticide screening on plants, flowers, extracts, concentrates, edibles, beverages, topicals, and soil.

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Supporting State and Federal Compliance

Some states permit limited pesticide use, while others prohibit it entirely and require pre-sale testing.

ACS Laboratory helps hemp and cannabis clients stay compliant by:

• aligning testing panels with state-specific regulations
• testing materials pre- and post-harvest
• reducing the risk of recalls, enforcement actions, and failed batches
  
  

A Trusted Partner in Pesticide Screening

Pesticide testing by a licensed third-party laboratory is vital for every reputable licensed grower, manufacturer, processor, and brand that prioritizes consumer safety. ACS Laboratory delivers trusted, award-winning pesticide screening backed by clinical-grade protocols and continuous method development. 

To learn more about pesticide screening services and how ACS Laboratory supports safe, compliant cannabis and hemp products, visit ACSLab.com.