ACT LAB vs Gold Standard Analytics for hemp and cannabis testing
ACT LAB operates seven laboratories across Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania, with ISO accreditation and state licenses per site and a Florida kratom panel that includes pseudoindoxyl. It is a multi-state compliance provider. Gold Standard Analytics is one Houston laboratory for lawful hemp with every price online, one guaranteed turnaround and every certificate public.
ACT LAB, Morton, IL; Lansing, MI; Halfmoon, NY; Columbus, OH; Davie, FL; Trafford and Harrisburg, PA. actlab.com. Facts checked September 9, 2026.
What ACT LAB does well
- Seven laboratories with state compliance credentials; Florida and New York regulator listings checked.
- Six-alkaloid kratom panel including pseudoindoxyl, speciogynine and speciociliatine.
- Cannabinoids, terpenes, contaminants, plant health, stability, environmental monitoring and R&D.
- Florida advertises 2–3 calendar days.
Side by side
| Gold Standard Analytics | ACT LAB | |
|---|---|---|
| Location and shipping | Gold Standard AnalyticsHouston, Texas. One laboratory at a published address. Lawful hemp (≤ 0.3% Δ9-THC) ships from any state on the prepaid UPS label we issue. | ACT LABSeven laboratories in six states. Shipping at your cost. |
| Sample and program fit | Gold Standard AnalyticsLawful hemp flower, extracts, isolates, edibles, tinctures, beverages, topicals, live plant tissue and facility swabs for R&D and quality control. No marijuana or products above the federal hemp limit; no DEA registration. | ACT LABState compliance testing in six states plus hemp and kratom. |
| Cannabinoid potency | Gold Standard AnalyticsCannabinoid profile from $79 (plant and extract), $119 for finished products, $159 for the extended 18-target profile. UHPLC-UV with LC-MS/MS confirmation on the Agilent 1290 Infinity II and 6490 triple quadrupole. | ACT LABCannabinoids at every site; no public tariff. |
| Terpenes and residual solvents | Gold Standard AnalyticsTerpene profile $79, 40 targets by calibrated GC-MS. Residual solvents $99 for 24 targets by headspace GC-MS. | ACT LABTerpenes and solvents; no public price. |
| Pesticides | Gold Standard AnalyticsPesticide panel from $269 by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS; 125-target panel $309; glyphosate and AMPA $419 by a separate polar method. | ACT LABState pesticide lists; no public price. |
| Heavy metals | Gold Standard AnalyticsFour-metal panel (As, Cd, Pb, Hg) $149 by ICP-MS on the Agilent 7850 after closed-vessel digestion. | ACT LABMetals; no public price. |
| Microbiology and mycotoxins | Gold Standard AnalyticsBasic microbiology $89, expanded $179, four-species Aspergillus qPCR $79, five-target mycotoxins $69 by LC-MS/MS. | ACT LABMicrobial and mycotoxin; no public price. |
| Turnaround | Gold Standard AnalyticsStandard 5–7 business days, guaranteed in writing. 48-hour analytical expedite +$59; 24-hour potency +$80. | ACT LABFlorida 2–3 calendar days; New York 5–7 calendar days; others about 3–4 days. No written guarantee. |
| Public results | Gold Standard AnalyticsEvery certificate public and searchable by accession, including failures and retractions; a client cannot remove one. Free JSON, CSV and Atom exports of the whole library. | ACT LABClient portal, downloadable and shareable reports with QR links; no browsable public library. |
| Chain of custody | Gold Standard AnalyticsEvery package opened on camera, each container photographed and blind-coded before it reaches the bench; footage and photos retained three years and tied to the accession. | ACT LABSample-submission instructions and a client portal; no on-camera receiving, blind coding or footage retention is published. |
| Ordering | Gold Standard AnalyticsSelf-service online intake with a live quote and an instant prepaid label; no account manager or quote form. API, MCP, Telegram and WhatsApp ordering. | ACT LABAccount and portal submission. |
| Payment | Gold Standard AnalyticsCard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, ACH, wire, Mercury invoice with net terms, and any cryptocurrency. | ACT LABNot published; invoiced to the client account. |
| ISO/IEC 17025 and licensing | Gold Standard AnalyticsOperated to ISO/IEC 17025 expectations; not accredited, and we say so on every page. Not a state-licensed cannabis compliance laboratory. | ACT LABISO/IEC 17025 accredited, transferring to A2LA per its FAQ; state licenses per site. |
| Guarantee | Gold Standard AnalyticsMiss the quoted turnaround, or an accredited laboratory materially contradicts our result on a retest of the retained sample, and the panel fee is refunded. | ACT LABNone published. |
Sources: actlab.com, checked Sep 8 2026.
Published prices
| Test | Gold Standard Analytics | ACT LAB |
|---|---|---|
| Cannabinoid potency, plant or extract | Gold Standard AnalyticsView current pricing | ACT LAB$0 |
| Terpene profile | Gold Standard AnalyticsView current pricing | ACT LAB$0 |
| Pesticide panel | Gold Standard AnalyticsView current pricing | ACT LAB$0 |
| Heavy metals, ICP-MS | Gold Standard Analytics+$169 | ACT LAB$0 |
| Microbiology panel | Gold Standard AnalyticsView current pricing | ACT LAB$0 |
| Full plant quality package | Gold Standard AnalyticsView current pricing | ACT LAB$0 |
ACT LAB publishes no numeric prices; testing is quoted. Gold Standard prices are the published catalog. A dash means no public price.
Questions about ACT LAB and Gold Standard Analytics
Is Gold Standard Analytics a ACT LAB alternative?
For lawful hemp and R&D, yes. For licensed release testing in Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Florida or Pennsylvania, ACT LAB is the eligible provider.
How much does ACT LAB charge for hemp or cannabis testing?
ACT LAB publishes no numeric prices. Gold Standard publishes every price: cannabinoid profile from $79, terpenes $79, solvents $99, metals $149, pesticides from $269, full plant package $649.
Is ACT LAB ISO 17025 accredited?
Yes; its FAQ states ISO accreditation with a transfer to A2LA. Current full scopes were not inspected. Gold Standard is not accredited and operates to ISO/IEC 17025 expectations; we state that plainly rather than imply otherwise.
Can I verify a ACT LAB COA?
By QR link on reports the client shares; there is no browsable public library. Every Gold Standard certificate, including failures, verifies here by accession number and is exported to a public library anyone can download.
Can Gold Standard test state-regulated cannabis like ACT LAB?
ACT LAB holds state cannabis testing licenses or certifications in the markets listed on its site, which are required for licensed release testing there. Gold Standard is not a state-licensed cannabis compliance laboratory and holds no DEA registration; we test lawful hemp (≤ 0.3% Δ9-THC) and hemp-derived products for R&D and quality control, from any state by mail.
Where is ACT LAB located?
Morton, IL; Lansing, MI; Halfmoon, NY; Columbus, OH; Davie, FL; Trafford and Harrisburg, PA. Gold Standard is at 5151 Mitchelldale St A10 STE B, Houston, TX 77092, and accepts hemp samples nationwide on a prepaid label.
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Submit a sample
Prepaid domestic label, public certificate, chain-of-custody video. Standard turnaround 5–7 business days.