USDA Updates Hemp Testing Rules for Volatile Organic Compounds

Date: 2026-01-18 | Topic: Regulation

The Brief

The USDA has released updated guidance for hemp testing laboratories, specifically addressing the retention of volatile terpenes during the drying process for compliance testing. The new rules allow for low-heat drying methods to preserve terpene integrity while still ensuring accurate THC measurements. This change comes after industry lobbying regarding the loss of value in samples subjected to high-heat decarboxylation.

Why It Matters

Preserving the full chemical profile during testing ensures that farmers are credited for the true value of their crop. It also standardizes how “total terpene content” is reported, preventing inflation of numbers by labs using non-standard preparation methods.

3 Key Implications

• For Consumers: More accurate certificates of analysis (COAs) that reflect the actual product quality.
• For Manufacturers: Standardization of raw material inputs and potentially higher costs for premium, verified lots.
• For Researchers: Better data quality for longitudinal studies on hemp cultivar expression across regions.

Sources

USDA Final Rule Updates Jan 2026

Tags: Hemp, Industrial