Cannabis and hemp are so efficient at absorbing heavy metals that both plants are used to remediate contaminated soil and rehabilitate toxic waste sites.
The hyperaccumulative properties of cannabis can be useful for some applications but for medical cannabis growers and manufacturers, it’s important to keep tabs on concentrations of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium.
In Canada and many states in the USA, regulations introduced in 2020 outline the maximum limits for lead, mercury and arsenic in cannabis.
Heavy metals aren’t the only component put under the microscope in medical cannabis laboratories.