Cannabis decontamination is the process of removing or reducing harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, mold, yeast, and fungi from cannabis plants and products. These contaminants can develop during cultivation, harvesting, or storage, potentially posing health risks to consumers.
Decontamination methods are used to ensure the safety and quality of cannabis products, particularly in the medical and recreational markets where strict regulations are in place. Techniques for cannabis decontamination include:
Decontamination helps extend the shelf life of cannabis products and ensures they meet safety standards for consumption, particularly for medical cannabis patients or immunocompromised individuals.
Cannabis mold decontamination techniques include X-ray irradiation, gamma irradiation, radiofrequency treatment, ozone treatment, e-beam irradiation, and UV Light sterilization
Decontamination is a process that removes or neutralizes dangerous substances from the marijuana without changing the actual product type or category of the marijuana. For example, after a Harvest Batch of marijuana flower has been decontaminated (after the Decontamination process is complete), the marijuana remains in the form of flower rather than having been changed into a different marijuana category (such as a Regulated Marijuana Concentrate or Marijuana Product).
Remediation is a process that removes or neutralizes dangerous substances from the marijuana and results in changing the product type or category of the marijuana. For example, after a Harvest Batch of marijuana flower has been remediated (after the Remediation process is complete), the marijuana has been transformed into a different marijuana category. Remediation is allowed in only two scenarios: (1)
Marijuana flower that failed for microbial contamination may be processed into solvent-based Regulated Marijuana Concentrate and (2)
marijuana flower that has failed for elemental impurities may be processed into Regulated Marijuana Co
A Secret Shopper is a regulator, posing as a shopper that serves to conduct random and spontaneous testing at grower sites or dispensaries. They purchase product, as a consumer, which is then tested for microbial values.
A PCR test designates if microbes are present within a cannabis sample. X-ray breaks up the microbe’s DNA, to prevent it from regrowth, but it does not remove the DNA from the sample. The problem with PCR is that it cannot determine whether the microbes are alive or dead.
A measurement of the number of viable organisms on sample, proportional to the number of colonies on a plate. Consider time to dispensary and shelf time to sale. It is critical to understand the risks associated with re-growth of supposedly “cleaned product”
It is necrotrophic – a pathogens that derive nutrients from dead or dying cells. Botrytis travels through water, air, clothing, fertilizer, container and tools. Botrytis thrives in humidity, soil and plants.
Is one of the most common blights to cannabis. Powdery Mildew travels through water, air, clothing, fertilizer, container and tools. Powdery Mildew thrives in humidity, soil and plants.
Out of sight, Out of mind – hard to detect, hidden in soil, acts as “stealth bomber”. Form – comes in the form of plant & root rot. Relentless – continuously infects the plant in form of wilt or root rot. Visual Signature – its incredibly visual with white or grey foam on bud and leaves.
Fusarium travels through water, air, clothing, fertilizer, container and tools. Fusarium thrives in humidity, soil and plants.
Pre-rolls can also be treated in the same method as a “full” batch. We will work with you to input preset settings for all your applications.
In the US there is no federal mandate for cannabis. Each state is allowed to set their own regulations
60-70% of the cannabis market is typically smoked
Microbials
Gamma, followed closely by ozone
The drum is 40cm
17.7mA @ 225kV
Other sizes of containers are in development
If the drum is not full, we recommend packing the drum with a filler (like bubble wrap) to keep the cannabis in the middle of the drum and to keep it from moving.
If you wish to put product directly on the shelf, we will need to work with you to input dose settings.
The denser the material (grinding) the longer it may take for a cycle to complete, since the dose gets absorbed more quickly by more dense material.
Cannabis decontamination is the process of removing or reducing harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, mold, yeast, and fungi from cannabis plants and products. These contaminants can develop during cultivation, harvesting, or storage, potentially posing health risks to consumers.
Decontamination methods are used to ensure the safety and quality of cannabis products, particularly in the medical and recreational markets where strict regulations are in place. Techniques for cannabis decontamination include:
Decontamination helps extend the shelf life of cannabis products and ensures they meet safety standards for consumption, particularly for medical cannabis patients or immunocompromised individuals.
Cannabis can be decontaminated using several technologies, each targeting microbial contamination differently:
Decontamination is a process that removes or neutralizes dangerous substances from the marijuana without changing the actual product type or category of the marijuana. For example, after a Harvest Batch of marijuana flower has been decontaminated (after the Decontamination process is complete), the marijuana remains in the form of flower rather than having been changed into a different marijuana category (such as a Regulated Marijuana Concentrate or Marijuana Product).
Remediation is a process that removes or neutralizes dangerous substances from the marijuana and results in changing the product type or category of the marijuana. For example, after a Harvest Batch of marijuana flower has been remediated (after the Remediation process is complete), the marijuana has been transformed into a different marijuana category. Remediation is allowed in only two scenarios: (1)
Marijuana flower that failed for microbial contamination may be processed into solvent-based Regulated Marijuana Concentrate and (2)
marijuana flower that has failed for elemental impurities may be processed into Regulated Marijuana Co
A Secret Shopper is an undercover representative—often working for a state regulator or third-party agency—who visits licensed cannabis dispensaries or grow sites posing as a regular customer. Their role is to anonymously purchase cannabis products for randomized testing, usually focused on safety, labeling accuracy, and microbial values.
A PCR test (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is a lab method used to detect the DNA of microbes in a cannabis sample. It’s highly sensitive and can confirm whether microbial material—like mold or bacteria—is present.
However, PCR can’t tell if the microbes are alive or dead. For example, after treatment, the DNA of microbes may still be in the product even though the microbes can no longer grow or cause harm. This can lead to false positives, making it look like contamination is still present when it’s not.
A Colony Forming Unit (CFU) measures the number of live, viable microbes in a cannabis sample. It’s based on how many colonies grow on a petri dish during lab testing.
Since microbes can regrow over time, it’s important to consider how long cannabis sits between testing, reaching the dispensary, and final sale. A product may pass initial testing but still pose a risk if not fully decontaminated.
It is necrotrophic – a pathogens that derive nutrients from dead or dying cells. Botrytis travels through water, air, clothing, fertilizer, container and tools. Botrytis thrives in humidity, soil and plants.
Is one of the most common blights to cannabis. Powdery Mildew travels through water, air, clothing, fertilizer, container and tools. Powdery Mildew thrives in humidity, soil and plants.
Out of sight, Out of mind – hard to detect, hidden in soil, acts as “stealth bomber”. Form – comes in the form of plant & root rot. Relentless – continuously infects the plant in form of wilt or root rot. Visual Signature – its incredibly visual with white or grey foam on bud and leaves.
Fusarium travels through water, air, clothing, fertilizer, container and tools. Fusarium thrives in humidity, soil and plants.
Pre-rolls can also be treated in the same method as a “full” batch. We will work with you to input preset settings for all your applications.
In the U.S., cannabis is not federally regulated. Instead, each state sets its own rules for cultivation, testing, and sales. This leads to major differences in things like microbial limits, approved decontamination methods, and required cannabis testing protocols.
Since there is no national standard, what’s compliant in one state might not pass in another. Staying up to date with your local regulations is essential to remain in compliance.
Smoking remains the most popular method of cannabis consumption. Estimates show that 60–70% of the cannabis market is made up of inhalable products, including flower, pre-rolls, and vapes. This means a significant majority of cannabis is consumed through methods where product purity and safety are especially critical.
Microbial testing has the highest failure rate in the cannabis industry. Mold, yeast, and bacteria are common contaminants that can develop during cultivation, drying, or storage.
Even products that appear clean can fail microbial tests, especially if decontamination methods aren’t effective or if post-treatment regrowth occurs. This makes microbial control one of the most critical—and challenging—aspects of cannabis compliance.
Gamma irradiation is the closest competitor to X-ray treatment. It also penetrates deeply and effectively kills microbes without heat or chemicals. However, it involves radioactive materials, which require stricter safety protocols and licensing.
Ozone treatment is another widely used method. It’s effective for surface-level decontamination but doesn’t reach internal contaminants as reliably as X-ray or gamma. Both are used in the industry, but X-ray offers a strong balance of safety, depth, and ease of operation.
The drum is 40cm
17.7mA @ 225kV
Yes! Besides the standard 10-gallon drum, we now offer a 24-gallon drum, the largest in the industry. It is designed to handle high-volume batches with greater efficiency.
Yes, you can safely run a decontamination cycle even if the drum isn’t completely full. To maintain consistent X-ray treatment for cannabis, we recommend using inert filler materials—such as bubble wrap—to help center and stabilize the product inside the drum.
If you wish to put product directly on the shelf, we will need to work with you to input dose settings.
The denser the material (grinding) the longer it may take for a cycle to complete, since the dose gets absorbed more quickly by more dense material.
