Health Canada has a lot to say about taking measurements, and there’s even a separate Weights and Measures Act –it’s a pretty hefty read… In fact, there’s an entire agency called Measurement Canada with offices across the country!
So let’s simplify a bit about what matters for craft cannabis growers.
If you’re measuring cannabis under 1 Kg, Health Canada recommends a Class II scale. A Class II scale is a high accuracy scale that is certified for trade and specifically used for ‘High Value’ products, like jewelry, or other items that are very expensive at very low quantities. In short, a Class II scale is very accurate.
But under 1 Kg is small… great if you’re making pre-rolled joints, but what if you’re measuring over 1 Kg? Say, for bulk product?
As a craft grower, chances are that’s exactly what you’re doing.
We called Measurements Canada to get the info straight from the horse’s mouth.
Class II scales are ideal for perfectly controlled, sterile environments. No breeze, no humidity, no unusual airflow. With high accuracy comes high sensitivity. So if you’re a cultivator, chances are you have an HVAC system, which automatically makes your environment sub-par for a class II scale.
In that case, says Measurements Canada, a Class III is actually better. It’s less sensitive to subtle changes, easier to measure larger objects (such as a bulk bag of product) since the scale itself is larger, and more affordable.
What about for measuring cannabis waste?
Well, that’s not a ‘High Value’ product being sold… so it actually doesn’t matter. You still have to take measurements, but you don’t need a certified scale – whichever you get is fine.
As a cannabis cultivator working with bulk products, a Class III scale will generally be good enough. It’s accurate enough for measuring your ‘High Value’ product ready to go to a processor, and it will save you some money.
At CertiCraft, we’ve partnered with Ohaus to offer our customers discounts on high-quality cannabis scales. Contact us to save even more money!
Happy measuring!
This article was written in tandem with Mike F.