R66. Agriculture and Food, Specialized Products.

R66-3. Quality Assurance Testing on Cannabis.

R66-3-1. Authority and Purpose.

Pursuant to Section 4-41a-701, this rule establishes the standards for cannabis and cannabis product potency testing. It sets limits for water activity, foreign matter, microbial life, pesticides, residual solvents, heavy metals, and mycotoxins.

R66-3-2. Definitions.

(1) "Analyte" means a substance or chemical component that is undergoing analysis.

(2) "Cannabinoid" means any:

(a) naturally occurring derivative of cannabigerolic acid (CAS 25555-57-1); or

(b) any chemical compound that is both structurally and chemically similar to a derivative of cannabigerolic acid.

(3) "Cannabinoid concentrate" means:

(a) the product of any chemical or physical process applied to naturally occurring biomass that concentrates or isolates the cannabinoids contained in the biomass; or

(b) any amount of a natural or artificially derived cannabinoid.

(4) "Cannabinoid isolate" means a concentrated form of cannabinoid with less than a 0.3% combined concentration of THC or any THC analog that is intended for use as an ingredient in a cannabinoid product but is not grown by a Utah licensed cannabis cultivation facility.

(5) "CBD" means cannabidiol (CAS 13956-29-1).

(6) "CBDA" means cannabidiolic acid, (CAS 1244-58-2).

(7) "Certificate of analysis" (COA) means a document produced by a testing laboratory listing the quantities of the various analytes for the performed testing.

(8) "Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol" or "delta-9-THC" means the cannabinoid identified as CAS #1972-08-03, the primary psychotropic cannabinoid in cannabis.

(9) "Final product" means a reasonably homogenous cannabis product created using the same standard operating procedures and the same formulation:

(a) in its final packaged form; or

(b) for vapes, in the sealed vape cartridge.

(10) "Foreign matter" means:

(a) any matter that is present in a cannabis lot that is not a part of the cannabis plant; or

(b) any matter that is present in a cannabis or cannabinoid product that is not listed as an ingredient, including seeds.

(11) "Industrial hemp" means a cannabis plant that contains less than 0.3% total THC by dry weight.

(12) "Lot" means the quantity of:

(a) flower from a single strain of cannabis and growing cycle produced on a particular date and time, following clean up until the next clean up during which the same materials are used; or

(b) trim, leaves, or other plant matter from cannabis plants produced on a particular date and time, following clean up until the next clean up.

(13) "Pesticide" means any:

(a) substance or mixture of substances, including a living organism, that is intended to prevent, destroy, control, repel, attract, or mitigate any insect, rodent, nematode, snail, slug, fungus, weed, or other forms of plant or animal life that are normally considered to be a pest or that the commissioner declares to be a pest;

(b) any substance or mixture of substances intended to be used as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant; and

(c) any spray adjuvant, such as a wetting agent, spreading agent, deposit builder, adhesive, or emulsifying agent with deflocculating properties of its own, used with a pesticide to aid in the application or effect of a pesticide.

(14) "Sampling technician" means a person tasked with collecting a representative sample of a cannabis plant product, cannabis concentrate, or cannabis product from a cannabis production establishment who is:

(a) an employee of the department;

(b) an employee of an independent cannabis laboratory that is licensed by the department to perform sampling; or

(15) "Standard operating procedure" (SOP) means a document providing detailed instruction for the performance of a task.

(16) "THCA" means delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (CAS 23978-85-0).

(17) "Total CBD" means the sum of the determined amounts of CBD and CBDA.

(18) "Unit" means each individual portion of an individually packaged product.

(19) "Unknown Cannabinoid" means any component of a cannabis plant product, cannabis concentrate, or cannabis product that a laboratory determines is likely to be a cannabinoid by comparison of physical properties, including molecular weight, retention time, and absorption spectra but is not included in Table 2 or Table 3.

(20) "Water activity" is a dimensionless measure of the water present in a substance that is available to microorganisms; calculated as the partial vapor pressure of water in the substance divided by the standard state partial vapor pressure of pure water at the same temperature.

R66-3-3. Required Cannabis, Cannabis Product, and Cannabinoid Isolate Tests.

(1) Before the transfer of cannabis biomass from a cannabis cultivation facility to a cannabis processing facility, the cultivation facility shall make a declaration to the department that the biomass to be transferred is either a cannabis plant product or a cannabis cultivation byproduct.

(2) A representative sample of each batch or lot of cannabis plant product shall be tested by an independent cannabis testing laboratory to determine:

(a) the water activity of the sample;

(b) the amount of total THC, total CBD, and any THC analog known to be present in the sample; and

(3) Required testing shall be performed either:

(a) before the transfer of the cannabis plant product to a cannabis processing facility; or

(b) following the transfer of the cannabis plant product to a cannabis processing facility.

(4) If cannabis plant product is tested before being transferred to a cannabis processing facility, the cannabis plant product shall be tested for microbial contaminants and foreign matter a second time following the transfer.

(5) A cannabis processor may test a cannabis plant product bulk batch for cannabinoids, but after testing, processing is limited to:

(a) packaging and labeling, unless:

(i) declaring the plant product as a byproduct within ten business days after testing; and

(ii) notifying the department.

(6) A cannabis processor shall perform any other final product adulterant testing after packaging.

(7) Cannabis cultivation byproduct shall either be:

(a) chemically or physically processed to produce a cannabis concentrate for incorporation into a cannabis derivative product; or

(b) destroyed pursuant to Section 4-41a-405.

(8) An independent cannabis testing laboratory shall test cannabis concentrate before incorporating it into a cannabis derivative product to determine:

(a) the cannabinoid profile; and

(b) the presence of adulterants in the sample, as specified in Table 1.

(9) A medical cannabis processor shall isolate any artificially derived cannabinoids present in the cannabis concentrate to a purity of greater than 95%, with a 5% margin of error, as determined by an independent cannabis testing laboratory using liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy or an equivalent method.

(10) Before the transfer of a cannabis product to a medical cannabis pharmacy, an independent cannabis testing laboratory shall test a representative sample of the product to determine:

(a) the water activity of the sample, as determined applicable by the department;

(b) the quantity of any cannabinoid or terpene to be listed on the product label; and

(11) Testing results for cannabis concentrate may be applied to cannabis product derived therefrom, provided that the processing steps used to produce the product are unlikely to change the results of the test, as determined by the department.

(12) The department may require mycotoxin testing of a cannabis plant product or cannabis product if they have reason to believe that mycotoxins may be present.

(13) The department shall require mycotoxin testing for cannabis concentrate.

(14) A cannabis production facility may remediate a cannabis plant product, cannabis concentrate, or cannabis product that fails microbial testing standards by irradiation, after submitting and gaining approval for a remediation plan from the department.

(15) A cannabis processing facility may remediate a cannabis concentrate that fails any of the required adulterant testing standards, after submitting and gaining approval for a remediation plan from the department.

(16)(a) A cannabis processing facility shall submit a remediation plan to the department within 15 days of the receipt of a failed testing result.

(b) A remediation plan shall be carried out and the cannabis plant product or cannabis concentrate shall be prepared for resampling within 60 days of department approval of the remediation plan.

(17) Resampling or retesting of a cannabis concentrate batch that fails any of the required testing standards is not allowed until the batch has been remediated.

(18) A cannabis lot or cannabis product batch that is not or cannot be remediated in the specified time shall be destroyed pursuant to Section 4-41a-405.

(19) If test results cannot be retained in the Inventory Control System, the laboratory shall:

(a) keep a record of test results;

(b) issue a COA for required tests; and

(20) Cannabinoid isolate shall be tested for:

(a) solvents;

(b) pesticides;

(d) heavy metals; and

(e) mycotoxins.

(21) Cannabinoid isolate shall be accompanied by a COA that complies with the standards included in Section R66-3-5 through Section R66-3-12.

(22) Cannabinoid isolate shall receive cannabinoid testing from an independent cannabis testing laboratory before being used to create a cannabis derivative product.

TABLE 1

Required Test by Sample Type

Test

Cannabis Plant Product

Cannabis Concentrate

Cannabis Product

Moisture Content

Required

Water Activity

Required

Foreign Matter

Required

Potency

Required

Microbial

Required

Pesticides

Required

Residual Solvents

Required

Heavy Metals

Required

Terpenes

Required

R66-3-4. Sampling Cannabis and Cannabis Products.

(1) The entity that requests testing of a cannabis plant product lot, cannabis concentrate batch, or cannabis product batch shall make the entirety of the lot or batch available to the sampling technician.

(2) The lot or batch being sampled shall be contained in a single location and physically separated from other lots or batches.

(3) The sample shall be collected by a sampling technician who is unaffiliated with the entity that requested testing of the cannabis lot or cannabis product batch unless the department grants an exception.

(4) The owner of the cannabis lot or cannabis product batch and any of their employees may not assist in the selection of the sample.

(5) The sampling technician shall collect the representative sample outlined in a SOP that is ISO 17025 compliant, maintained by the laboratory that will perform the testing.

(6) When collecting the representative sample, the sampling technician shall:

(a) use sterile gloves, instruments, and a glass or plastic container to collect the sample;

(b) place tamper proof tape on the container; and

(7) For cannabis plant product lots, the sampling technician shall take a minimum representative sample according to the following schedule:

(a) 10 subunits with an average weight of one gram each for lots weighing 5 kilograms or less;

(b) 16 subunits with an average weight of one gram each for lots weighing 5.01-9 kilograms;

(d) 28 subunits with an average weight of one gram each for lots weighing 14.01-18 kilograms;

(e) 32 subunits with an average weight of one gram each for lots weighing 18.01-23 kilograms.

(8) For cannabis concentrate, the sampling technician shall take a minimum representative sample according to the following schedule:

(a) 10 mL or grams for batches of one liter or kilogram or less; or

(b) 20 mL or grams for batches of four liters or kilograms or less.

(9) For cannabis products in their final product form, the sampling technician shall take the following minimum number of sample units, the combined total weight of which must be at least 10 grams, not including packaging materials:

(a) four units for a sample product batch with 5-500 products;

(b) six units for a sample product batch with 501-1000 products;

(d) ten units for a sample product batch with 5,001-10,000 products.

(10) The representative sample may include additional material if the material is necessary to perform the required testing.

R66-3-5. Moisture Content Testing and Water Activity Standards.

(1) The COA shall report the moisture content of a sample and the related lot of cannabis as a mass over mass percentage.

(2) A sample and related lot of cannabis fail quality assurance testing if the water activity of the representative sample is found to be greater than 0.65.

(3) A sample and related cannabis or cannabinoid product batch intended for human consumption fail quality assurance testing if the water activity of the representative sample is greater than 0.65, unless water is a component of the product formulation and is listed as an ingredient.

R66-3-6. Foreign Matter Standards.

A sample and related lot or batch of cannabis, cannabis product, or cannabinoid product fail quality assurance testing if:

(1) the sample contains foreign matter visible to the unaided human eye;

(2) the sample is found to contain microscopic foreign matter considered to be harmful or estimated to comprise greater than 3% of the mass of the representative sample as determined by the testing laboratory; or

(3) foreign matter is found that is suspected of having been intentionally added to the sample to increase its visual appeal or market value; or

(4) for a cannabis plant product, the total number of seeds found is greater than the net weight of the sample collected divided by 1.75.

R66-3-7. Potency Testing.

(1) A lot or batch of cannabis plant product, cannabis concentrate, or cannabis product shall have its cannabinoid profile determined and listed on a COA as total THC, total CBD, and the total concentration of any THC analog known to be present.

(2) A lot or batch of cannabis plant product, cannabis concentrate, or cannabis product fail quality assurance testing for cannabinoid content if:

(a) it is not analyzed for each of the analytes listed in Table 2;

(b) the determined amount of any analyte exceeds its action level given in Table 2;

(c) any tetrahydrocannabinol acetate (THC-OAc) is found in a cannabis concentrate with a relative peak area greater than 1% of the total cannabinoid peak area or in a cannabis product with a relative peak area greater than 0.5% of the total cannabinoid peak area as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector;

(d) any of the artificially derived cannabinoids listed in Table 3 are found to have a peak area greater than 1% of total cannabinoid peak area as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD); or

(e) greater than 10% of the total cannabinoid peak area is comprised of unknown cannabinoids after peaks smaller than 1% of the total peak area have been excluded as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD).

TABLE 2

Cannabinoid Components and Action Levels

Analyte

Chemical Abstract Service

Action Level

Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabidiol (Δ9-THC)

1972-08-03

No Limit

Δ8-Tetrahydrocannabidiol (Δ8-THC)

5957-75-5

No Limit

Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA)

23978-85-0

No Limit

Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV)

31262-37-0

No Limit

Cannabidiol (CBD)

13956-29-1

No Limit

Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA)

1244-58-2

No Limit

Cannabidivarin (CBDV)

24274-48-4

No Limit

Cannabinol (CBN)

521-35-7

No Limit

Cannabigerol (CBG)

25654-31-3

No Limit

Cannabichromene (CBC)

20675-51-8

No Limit

Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA)

25555-57-1

No Limit

Cannabichromenic acid (CBCA)

20408-52-0

No Limit

9R-Δ6a,10a-Tetrahydrocannabidiol (Δ3-THC)

95720-01-7

1%1

9S-Δ6a,10a-Tetrahydrocannabidiol (Δ3-THC)

95720-02-8

1%1

(6aR,9R)-Δ10-Tetrahydrocannabidiol

95543-62-7

1%1

(6aR,9S)-Δ10-Tetrahydrocannabidiol

95588-87-7

1%1

Cannabicitran (CBTC)

31508-71-1

1If the laboratory performing the testing cannot chromatographically separate 9(R+S)-Δ6a,10a-Tetrahydrocannabidiol or (6aR,9(R+S))-Δ10-Tetrahydrocannabidiol, then the action level for the combined isomers will be 1.5%.

TABLE 3

Artificially Derived Cannabinoids

Analyte

Chemical Abstract Service

Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC)

36403-90-4, 36403-91-5

3-Heptyl-delta(1)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCP)

54763-99-4, 51768-60-6

R66-3-8. Microbial Standards.

(1) A sample and related lot or batch of cannabis plant product, cannabis concentrate, or cannabis product fail quality assurance testing for microbiological contaminants if the results exceed the limits in Table 4.

(2) Each sample and related lot or batch of cannabis plant product, cannabis concentrate, or cannabis product shall be tested for total aerobic microbial count and total combined yeast and mold. The specific pathogens listed in Table 4 may be tested for at the discretion of the department.

TABLE 4

Microbial Analytes and Action Levels

Material

Microbial Limit Requirement

Cannabis Plant Product

Total Aerobic Microbial Count ≤100,000 cfu/g

Not detected in 1g:

Salmonella spp., STEC, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus terreus

Cannabinoid Concentrate

Total Aerobic Microbial Count ≤10,000 cfu/g

Total Combined Yeast and Mold Count ≤1,000 cfu/g

Not detectable in 1g:

STEC, Salmonella spp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus terreus

Infused Edible Products

Total Aerobic Microbial Count ≤10,000 cfu/g

Total Combined Yeast and Mold Count ≤1,000 cfu/g

Not detectable in 1g:

STEC, Salmonella spp.

Infused Non-edible Products

Total Aerobic Microbial Count ≤250 cfu/g

Total Yeast and Mold Count ≤250 cfu/g

Not detectable in 1g:

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus

Infused Suppository Products

Total Aerobic Microbial Count ≤10,000 cfu/g

Total Combined Yeast and Mold Count ≤1,000 cfu/g

Not detectable in 1 g:

STEC, Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus aureus

R66-3-9. Pesticide Standards.

(1) Only pesticides allowed by the department may be used in the cultivation of cannabis.

(2) If an independent cannabis laboratory identifies a pesticide that is not allowed under Subsection R66-3-9(1) and is above the action levels provided in Subsection R66-3-9(3), that lot or batch from which the sample was taken has failed quality assurance testing.

(3) A sample and related lot or batch of cannabis, cannabis product, or cannabinoid product fail quality assurance testing for pesticides if the results exceed the limits in Table 5.

TABLE 5

Pesticide Analytes and Action Levels

Analyte

Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) Registry number

Action Level ppm

Abamectin

71751-41-2

0.5

Acephate

30560-19-1

0.4

Acequinocyl

57960-19-7

Acetamiprid

135410-20-7

0.2

Aldicarb

116-06-3

0.4

Azoxystrobin

131860-33-8

0.2

Bifenazate

149877-41-8

0.2

Bifenthrin

82657-04-3

0.2

Boscalid

188425-85-6

0.4

Carbaryl

63-25-2

0.2

Carbofuran

1563-66-2

0.2

Chlorantraniliprole

500008-45-7

0.2

Chlorfenapyr

122453-73-0

Chlorpyrifos

2921-88-2

0.2

Clofentezine

74115-24-5

0.2

Cyfluthrin

68359-37-5

Cypermethrin

52315-07-8

Daminozide

1596-84-5

DDVP (Dichlorvos)

62-73-7

0.1

Diazinon

333-41-5

0.2

Dimethoate

60-51-5

0.2

Ethoprophos

13194-48-4

0.2

Etofenprox

80844-07-1

0.4

Etoxazole

153233-91-1

0.2

Fenoxycarb

72490-01-8

0.2

Fenpyroximate

134098-61-6

0.4

Fipronil

120068-37-3

0.4

Flonicamid

158062-67-0

Fludioxonil

131341-86-1

0.4

Hexythiazox

78587-05-0

Imazalil

35554-44-0

0.2

Imidacloprid

138261-41-3

0.4

Kresoxim-methyl

143390-89-0

0.4

Malathion

143390-89-0

0.2

Metalaxyl

57837-19-1

0.2

Methiocarb

2032-65-7

0.2

Methomyl

16752-77-5

0.4

Methyl parathion

298-00-0

0.2

MGK-264

113-48-4

0.2

Myclobutanil

88671-89-0

0.2

Naled

300-76-5

0.5

Oxamyl

23135-22-0

Paclobutrazol

76738-62-0

0.4

Permethrins

52645-53-1

0.2

Phosmet

732-11-6

0.2

Piperonyl_butoxide

51-03-6

Prallethrin

23031-36-9

0.2

Propiconazole

60207-90-1

0.4

Propoxur

114-26-1

0.2

Pyrethrins

8003-34-7

Pyridaben

96489-71-3

0.2

Spinosad

168316-95-8

0.2

Spiromesifen

283594-90-1

0.2

Spirotetramat

203313-25-1

0.2

Spiroxamine

118134-30-8

0.4

Tebuconazole

80443-41-0

0.4

Thiacloprid

111988-49-9

0.2

Thiamethoxam

153719-23-4

0.2

Trifloxystrobin

141517-21-7

0.2

(4) Permethrins should be measured as the cumulative residue of cis- and trans-permethrin isomers (CAS numbers 54774-45-7 and 51877-74-8).

(5) Pyrethrins should be measured as the cumulative residues of pyrethrin I (CAS 121-21-1), pyrethrin II (CAS 121-29-9), cinerin 1 (CAS 25402-06-6), and jasmolin 1 (CAS 4466-14-2).

(6) Abamectin is a composite of the amounts of avermectin B1a and avermectin B1b.

R66-3-10. Residual Solvent Standards.

(1) A sample and related lot or batch of cannabis plant product, cannabis concentrate, or cannabis product fails quality assurance testing for residual solvents if the results exceed the limits provided in Table 6, unless the solvent is:

(a) a component of the product formulation;

(b) listed as an ingredient; and

TABLE 6

List of Solvents and Action Levels

Solvent

Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) Registry number

Action level ppm

1,2 Dimethoxyethane

110-71-4

100

1,4 Dioxane

123-9

380

1-Butanol

71-36-3

5,000

1-Pentanol

71-41-0

5,000

1-Propanol

71-23-8

5,000

2-Butanol

78-92-2

5,000

2-Butanone

78-93-3

5,000

2-Ethoxyethanol

110-80-5

160

2-methylbutane

78-78-4

5,000

2-Propanol (IPA)

67-63-0

5,000

Acetone

67-64-1

5,000

Acetonitrile

75-05-8

410

Benzene

71-43-2

Butane

106-97-8

5,000

Cumene

98-82-8

Cyclohexane

110-82-7

3,880

Dichloromethane

75-09-2

600

2,2-dimethylbutane

75-83-2

290

2,3-dimethylbutane

79-29-8

290

1,2-dimethylbenzene

95-47-6

See Xylenes

1,3-dimethylbenzene

108-38-3

See Xylenes

1,4-dimethylbenzene

106-42-3

See Xylenes

Dimethyl sulfoxide

67-68-5

5,000

Ethanol

64-17-5

5,000

Ethyl acetate

141-78-6

5,000

Ethylbenzene

100-41-4

See Xylenes

Ethyl ether

60-29-7

5,000

Ethylene glycol

107-21-1

620

Ethylene Oxide

75-21-8

Heptane

142-82-5

5,000

n-Hexane

110-54-3

290

Isopropyl acetate

290

5,000

Methanol

67-56-1

3,000

Methylpropane

75-28-5

5,000

2-Methylpentane

107-83-5

290

3-Methylpentane

96-14-0

290

N,N-dimethylacetamide

127-19-5

1,090

N,N-dimethylformamide

68-12-2

880

Pentane

109-66-0

5,000

Propane

74-98-6

5,000

Pyridine

110-86-1

100

Sulfolane

126-33-0

160

Tetrahydrofuran

109-99-9

720

Toluene

108-88-3

890

Xylenes

1330-20-7

2,170

(2) Xylenes is a combination of the following:

(a) 1,2-dimethylbenzene;

(b) 1,3-dimethylbenzene;

(d) ethyl benzene.

R66-3-11. Heavy Metal Standards.

A sample and related lot or batch of cannabis plant product, cannabis concentrate, cannabis product, or vaporizer cartridges fail quality assurance testing for heavy metals if the results exceed the limits provided in Table 7.

TABLE 7

Heavy Metals

Metals

Natural Health Products Acceptable limits in parts per million (ppm)

Arsenic

Cadmium

<0.82

Lead

<1.2

Mercury

<0.4

R66-3-12. Mycotoxin Standards.

A sample and related lot or batch of cannabis plant product, cannabis concentrate, or cannabis product fail quality assurance testing for mycotoxin if the results exceed the limits provided in Table 8.

TABLE 8

Mycotoxin

Test

Specification

The Total of

Aflatoxin B1,

Aflatoxin B2,

Aflatoxin G1, and

Aflatoxin G2

<20 parts per billion (ppb) of substance

Ochratoxin A.

<20 ppb of substance

R66-3-13. Terpene Standards.

An independent cannabis testing laboratory shall test each sample and the related lot or batch of cannabis plant product, cannabis concentrate, or cannabis product for terpenes.

KEY: cannabis testing, quality assurance, cannabis laboratory, water activity standards, foreign matter standards, microbial life, pesticide standards, residual solvents standards, heavy metal standards, mycotoxin standards, terpene standards

Date of Last Change: August 21, 2025

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 4-41a-701