White River Growpro Now Offering Potency Testing

Many growers and producers of cannabis products have wondered how their potency stacks up to the competition. They might also need to know their percentages of THC and CBD; or maybe they’re curious, and thinking, “Just how good are my goods?”

Now folks for whom cannabis is a vocation and/or an avocation can test the potency of their creations without spending a bundle at White River Growpro in White River Junction.

White River Growpro is the official Cultivation Sponsor of the Vermont Cannabis & Hemp Convention, and at the beginning of this year, owners Kendall Smith and Stephanie Waterman became the first and only business in Vermont to provide testing equipment from SAGE Analytics.

This technology allows them to offer potency test results in about two minutes through spectroscopy – the measurement of emitted electromagnetic radiation – without destroying the sample. This process reveals the physical composition of cannabis, specifically the percentage of THC-A, Delta-9 THC, total THC, Total Potential THC, CBD-A, CBD, Total CBD, and Total Potential CBD.

SAGE Analytics testing doesn’t measure a product’s full cannabinoid spectrum or take into account the delicate combination of terpenes that can add smells and flavors, extra medicinal value, and potency. “Some strains don’t test that high (in THC), but they have a greater perception of potency because of their terpenes,” explains Waterman.            

Due to its margin of error (about 1-2% for flower and 3-4% for extracts), this method of testing cannot be used for state certification, but at the cost of $25 for flower and $30 for extracts, it is scientific data that lets folks know if their product is on the right track.

Growers can come to White River Growpro for testing on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and can test their cured and properly dried flower (wet buds don’t test accurately), as well as pure extracts such as oil, kief, hash, wax, shatter and others that are NOT cut with any type of oil or solvent. SAGE Analytics cannot test edibles.  

A Store by Growers, for Growers

Along with in-store testing, White River Growpro staff is on-call for emergencies that happen during their closed hours, like a lighting system that suddenly dies or urgent questions. And when the store is open (Mon-Sat 10-5:30), they are a wealth of information and expertise to anybody who walks through their doors.

Smith’s cannabis-growing experience spans 25 years, and he is passionate about sharing it. He attended Humboldt State University and cultivated cannabis as a registered medical grower for the state of California. Over the last few years, he has served as a registered caregiver in the state of Vermont.  

“I am ingrained with a cannabis culture that has fought against the unjust laws of Prohibition, and I am proud to have contributed to bringing cannabis into the mainstream. We firmly believe that it is everyone’s right to cultivate cannabis for their own use,” claimed Smith. “I’m excited that I can now openly share this passion with people every day!”

“We want to help people cultivate clean, sustainable cannabis, not only for their own health, but for the health of the planet.” – Kendall Smith

Smith’s advice to newbies in cannabis cultivation is to keep it simple and focus on the proper environment. “A lot of people think that success is tied to the nutrient line they choose, but I’ve used over 17 different brands over the years, and they all worked.”

He also steers novice growers away from online hype and chat forums. “While good advice can be found on forums from time to time, they are often confusing and contradictory.”

Smith endorses probiotic organic farming with an emphasis on products that lean toward more sustainable cultivation practices. “Cannabis is a bio-accumulator – it sucks up everything you give it. Ultimately, those chemicals end up in your body and the runoff from a grow ends up in our environment and waste-water systems. We want to help people cultivate clean, sustainable cannabis, not only for their own health, but for the health of the planet.”

Growpro has the largest inventory of indoor gardening supplies in Vermont, with a wide selection of high-intensity grow lights, natural and organic fertilizers and pesticides, soils and other growing media, water purification systems, and everything else you need to succeed.

Growpro understands that Vermont’s sales tax can often steer customers to make online purchases or go to New Hampshire – which has no sales tax. For this reason, registered customers get a sales tax discount, with security measures assiduously guarding their personal information.

Visit White River Growpro at 230 Main Street, Suite A in downtown White River Junction.