cannabis inspections

The Clean Green Certified program is comprised of three parts: a legal compliance review, a review of the manner in which the crop is grown, and a standard agricultural crop inspection. Taken together, the program helps to ensure a grower’s legal compliance as well as distinguishing the product from others on the market.

Clean Green Certified is a program modeled on National and International Organic, Bio-Dynamic, Plant-Based, Regenerative Agriculture and Sustainable Standards, helping to ensure environmentally clean and sustainable methods. Clean Green reviews all inputs, from seed or clone selection, soil, nutrients, pesticides, mold treatments, dust control, and source of electricity, to methods of harvesting and processing.  The Clean Green program is not USDA NOP compliant or equivalency. Many people do not know that federal law does not allow cannabis to be called “organic”!  People claiming their cannabis is organic are misleading the consumer and flirting with federal labeling law infractions.  To learn more about the USDA National Organic Program, go to www.usda.gov. Please also visit our Clean Green FAQ’s to help find commons questions about our program.

This program reduces the environmental impact of all crops, helps to ensure legality, and regulates what chemicals go into consumable products. A Certified operation is licensed to use the Clean Green Certified label on their products after an annual review requiring yearly on-site or virtual inspections and third-party laboratory pesticide residue testing.

The Legal Compliance Review: This portion of the program allows a grower to openly and confidentially discuss their compliance issues or concerns with a compliance expert, on their farm site. Each farm seems to have their own questions and concerns and this is a comfortable format to frankly discuss and ask any questions the grower has.

A Review of the manner in which the crop is grown: Becoming certified requires an application be filled out detailing how the crop is being grown. Questions such as; the source of water, source of electricity, how a farmer is protecting against soil erosion, what are the border areas (are they natural vegetation allowing for beneficial insects, or are the plants next to a toxic area…etc.), how does the grower combat pests, weeds and diseases, etc. Once the application is completed, an onsite or virtual crop inspection is scheduled.

During the inspection it is confirmed that the methods the farmer stated in the application are in fact the methods being used on site. There is a thorough review of all of the inputs the grower is using: fertilizers, pest control sprays, potting soils etc.

Using clean, sustainable methods does not mean going without nutrient amplification or pest control in the garden; there are many inputs allowed under the Clean Green Certified Program, and we will assist a grower in sourcing allowed inputs if needed.

A standard agricultural crop inspection: This portion of the program includes a close examination of the growing plants themselves. Here the plants are examined for excess molds, mildews, pest problems, or other agricultural problems. Samples are collected and sent to qualified laboratories to test for pesticide residues and other contaminants. The plants are inspected to be free from excess wind borne dust, dirt, or other contaminants. The growing area is observed for soil erosion and border areas that support beneficial insects and birds helping to keep pest populations in check. This portion of the program looks at the overall health of the plants and the growing area.

The processing room or area is observed and discussion is had regarding the need for a clean processing facility for chemically clean agricultural products. Contamination of a crop is often most likely to occur in the processing areas as the entire crop is being concentrated into a smaller area. Discussion is had as to the manner in which to process the crop so it will not degrade quickly, and that it is stored in a safe, secure and healthy manner.

We hope that you as a grower/member or as a collective see the advantages of becoming a Clean Green Certified Operation. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about the programs.

To inquire about an initial eligibility with the Clean Green Certification program, please apply for our program here. p