What Is Clean Weed & Why Does It Matter?

Maybe you’ve never considered what ‘clean weed’ really means. Yet, when consuming cannabis products, it is important to know how the starting material was grown. Whether you’re smoking, eating, or vaporizing your THC, it is important to know that your product has been grown at a standard of excellence that would prohibit the use of potentially harmful chemical fertilizers in the growth and production of cannabis consumables. 

Paying attention to how your cannabis was grown is just as important as noticing how the food we consume was grown or produced. In fact, one could argue that they should be treated in the same regard. Clean weed cannabis products are the confidence booster cannabis consumers deserve regarding quality organic cannabis products and cannabis production operations. So, what exactly does that mean, and how can you know your weed is clean?

What Is Clean Weed?

Clean weed is as close as you can get to being certified organic. It is a culmination of international organic regulatory standards designed to ensure consumer confidence in cannabis products designated as certified clean. Can weed be certified organic? Technically, no weed cannot be certified organic. This is because it remains a federally illegal substance, and the USDA will not recognize its status.

However, there are other means of certifying that your cannabis products have been grown near the standards of USDA-certified organic products. Cannabis growers and producers can outsource certifications through 3rd party experts who do thorough inspections of entire operations to ensure the quality control of a company’s products. Not only are they checking for moldy weed, but they investigate growing practices to ensure the quality of care from seed to harvest.

How to Become Clean Green Certified

Since cannabis is still a federally illegal substance, the USDA standard of organic products can’t be applied to any cannabis product. The closest thing that weed can get to a USDA organic certification is by successfully completing the rigorous and precise testing protocol needed to obtain a Clean Green Certification so cannabis companies may display the certification seal on their line of cannabis products. 

This seal helps to ensure consumers purchase a quality cannabis product. After the extensive and necessary application process has been completed and reviewed, a few steps and inspections must be taken for a product’s Clean Green Certification to be obtained. 

Legal Compliance

First off, to be considered a Clean Green Certified cannabis product, it must be a cannabis product that has been grown and produced within the confines of legal allowance. An inspection of record-keeping systems is done to ensure compliance of all legal regulations at play in an operations-specific jurisdiction. 

Without the successful completion of this step and every other step for that matter, a cannabis company may not permissibly stamp their product as a Clean Green Certified cannabis product, a certification that instills confidence in consumers who see it on labels stocking dispensary shelves. 

Cultivation Methods

Next, the cultivation methods are inspected in detail, including ascertaining the means of watering, electricity use, soil erosion protection, and the surrounding border areas of the grow are free of harmful insects, pests, or toxins. The inspection of growing methods and environment is a crucial step in receiving a coveted Clean Green Certification, ensuring consumers that cannabis flowers are grown, harvested, and produced safely and responsibly. 

A cannabis consumer can feel confident knowing that what goes into growing a product with the Clean Green Certification seal on its packaging or product label is safe for consumption and not littered with harmful chemicals or fertilizers that may have been used in certain cannabis cultivation operations that haven’t been through such rigorous tests of quality control. 

Agricultural Inspection

Lastly, clean weed has been tested to be free of harmful chemicals found in fertilizers and pesticides, and the production facilities have received a thorough inspection for cleanliness to avoid cross-contamination. This final step of the process involves taking samples of the cannabis to independent labs for testing of any potential contaminants before something is given a Clean Green Certification logo on their products. 

Where to Find Clean Weed

Clean weed can be found in various crop producers, handlers, retail outlets, distributors, and products. When browsing your local dispensary, look for the Clean Green Weed Certification seal to ensure that your cannabis products have been produced with the highest standards of quality and safety in mind. Clean Green Certified cannabis products can be found in a convenient directory located on their website. From there, cannabis consumers can locate nearby dispensaries that carry products with a coveted Clean Green Certified seal of quality organic assurance.

Can You Buy Clean Weed That Isn’t Certified?

Yes, of course. Much like many farmers grow organic food but never achieve USDA certification, many cannabis growers follow a similar path. This is especially true throughout the Emerald Triangle in Northern California, where growers work hand in hand with the land to ensure its longevity. The terroir in this region grows some of the finest cannabis in the world, and many growers here are deeply committed to regenerative farming practices. 

When shopping at a dispensary, ask them how they choose their cannabis. It might not be up to snuff if they cannot name their farms or any notable facts about how the weed was grown. However, if sustainably farmed, sun-grown, and locally sourced cannabis is important to you, be sure to ask for more information to help you find the high-quality weed you deserve.