#8: of 12 Cannabis Innovators We’re Watching That Are Killing It In All Things Weed
Since the legalization of cannabis in Canada, one way in which the cannabis industry has evolved considerably is in safety. Prior to legalization, there was virtually no means of testing cannabis products to ensure what Canadians were consuming was safe. With the legalization, Health Canada has mandated regulatory testing of all cannabis sold commercially, which has dramatically improved its consistency and safety. This has put many cannabis users at ease, knowing that what they are consuming has been thoroughly tested.
For those Canadians who grow their cannabis at home, however, it is still difficult to access affordable analysis of the cannabis growing in their own backyards to ensure safety for consumption. Legally, Canadians can grow up to four plants on their property, but these home-growers don’t have access to the same laboratory testing that licensed practitioners (LPs) do. That said, where can home-growers — or hobby-growers, as they are known in the industry — turn to detect mould on their plants, determine the potency of the edibles they’ve just prepared and more? Enter Homegrown Laboratories.
Established in late 2020 by founder and CEO Stuart Smith, Homegrown Laboratories. provides analytical testing of cannabis grown at residences in Ontario. By providing home-growers access to similar testing that is done for large LPs, Homegrown Laboratories helps these micro-growers ensure that what is being matured at home is as safe as the product that is tightly regulated by the government. In addition to testing dried cannabis for potency and terpenes, testing can also be done to ensure that their homegrown cannabis does not contain heavy metals, pesticides, residual solvents, or foreign material. Cannabis can also be analyzed for microbiological purity — detecting mould, mildew, or rot — even in plants that have been grown organically.
Since its start, Homegrown Laboratories has been working on a revised testing program to ensure and promote safe cannabis consumption for products that are not sold through the Ontario Cannabis Store. They are currently setting up a new, state-of-the-art lab in Whitby, Ont., which will be fully operational by the fall of 2021. For Canadians wanting to grow their own cannabis, Homegrown Laboratories is providing peace of mind, an extra layer of option and reducing stigma regarding safety as the cannabis industry evolves.
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