Understanding ISO/IEC 17025 for Cannabis and Hemp Testing Labs ​

What ISO/IEC 17025 Is 

ISO/IEC 17025 is the general international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. It sets requirements for a lab’s quality management system, method validation, equipment calibration, staff competency, and participation in proficiency testing programs that compare a lab’s results against other accredited labs. A lab’s accreditation also specifies a defined scope, meaning the exact tests and matrices, such as flower, edibles, or concentrates, that the accreditation actually covers. It is a separate thing from PJRFSI’s GACP and GMP certifications: PJRFSI certifies the safety and quality management systems of cultivation and manufacturing operations, while ISO/IEC 17025 accredits the laboratories that test the resulting product.

Why It Matters 

Most state cannabis and hemp testing programs now require, or are actively phasing in, ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for any lab issuing compliance results, and states including New York, California, and Illinois have increased audits and enforcement around lab accreditation and result accuracy. Accreditation must come from a body that is a signatory to the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated mutual recognition arrangement for the accreditation to carry weight with regulators and business partners. A test result from an unaccredited lab, or a lab operating outside its accredited scope, can be challenged or rejected outright, putting an entire batch, or an entire license, at risk. 

Benefits of Working With an Accredited Lab 

• Test results that regulators, retailers, and business partners accept without question, avoiding delays or disputes over validity 

• A documented chain of method validation and calibration behind every result, so a single questioned batch does not put your entire compliance record at risk 

• Confidence that potency and contaminant results will hold up consistently across labs and across states, reducing the risk of inconsistent or contradictory readings on the same product 

• A stronger position when selling into national retail or multi-state markets, where accredited testing is increasingly a baseline expectation rather than a differentiator 

How This Fits With PJRFSI Certification 

PJRFSI’s GACP and GMP standards require that any THC or cannabinoid testing referenced in an audit, whether pre-harvest crop testing or finished product testing, be performed by a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, or otherwise compliant with applicable state or federal requirements. In short, PJRFSI certifies the operation; an accredited lab tests the product. Both pieces matter for a defensible compliance program. 

PJRFSI Cannabis and Hemp Safety Certification: system-level GACP and GMP certification backed by decades of food safety auditing experience. 

Ready to get started? 

• Contact PJRFSI today to discuss certification for your operation. 
• Phone: 1-877-663-1160 
• Web: www.pjrfsi.com 
• Address: 755 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 1325, Troy, Michigan 48084