If you’ve ever mailed your official state sample and hoped for the best, you know that “too late” feeling. This week, we broadcast live from Neogen’s Lansing HQ to put a practical, validated solution in your hands: the Raptor on‑farm delta‑9 THC test for hemp flower.

Neogen isn’t new to risk.

“Mycotoxins are toxins derived from molds that will generally—or historically—infest grain products, but also, as we’ve learned, can also find their way into hemp and cannabis,” said Tony Lupo, Neogen’s Senior Director of Technical Services and incoming AOAC International president. “There’s certainly kind of a crossover need there… we began to evolve into providing solutions for allergens, for microbial contaminants.”

That same food and animal‑safety muscle is now helping hemp farmers time harvests and protect acreage.

Dr. Jesse Miller, Neogen’s Director of Innovations, framed the intent: give growers a fast, trustworthy read before the official pull.

“We’d seen the variability in test results out there. It’s our duty to bring legitimacy and keep this stuff safe with existing and new solutions.”

What it is and how it works Raptor is a quantitative lateral‑flow strip (think pregnancy test) read by a handheld “Raptor Solo” unit. Two lines present negative; the test line fades as THC increases. Unlike guesswork, this is calibrated to give a number: 0.10%–1.60% delta‑9 THC on a dry‑weight basis, which is exactly where pre‑harvest decisions live.

Neogen’s Nate Banner walked through the workflow on camera. The four steps are practical and farmer‑proof: dehydrate your sample below 10% moisture (food dehydrator or even an air fryer), decarboxylate (e.g., Ardent FX/Nova, ~90 minutes), extract in 70% isopropyl alcohol with a one‑minute shake, and run the strip. The reader analyzes the control/test line intensities against an onboard, lot‑specific calibration and reports percent THC in about five minutes. “It’s as simple as that,” Banner said, reading back a 0.30% result live. “Now is the time to harvest.”

Why you can trust it Neogen’s validation team is separate from development. “We go through ruggedness and robustness; we’re not just shipping lab toys,” Banner noted. The company paired 118 hemp flower samples against AOAC 2018.11 HPLC and saw strong correlation and linearity. They’re also releasing a five‑part, plain‑English explainer on method validation with the Hemp Industries Association to raise the bar industry‑wide.

What it costs—and saves The full setup (reader, starter kit with 25 tests, and basic accessories like a decarb unit) typically runs about $2,700–$3,200, depending on what you already own. Refill kits are roughly $400 for 25 tests—about $16 per test. For comparison, competitor handhelds can run north of $14,000 and send‑out pre‑harvest tests are often $40–$80 with days of delay. This doesn’t replace your state compliance test; it prevents the “burn it” call.

Field tips Always dry first, then decarb—moisture will suppress decarb and read low. Use fresh pipette tips at each step to avoid cross‑contamination. Start scanning just after flower set; call MDARD when you’re trending in the high‑twos (0.27%–0.29%) to align with Michigan’s 30‑day harvest window. The reader stores sample IDs and results and exports via USB/Wi‑Fi so you can build a harvest log.

The bigger picture The same science that keeps food safe belongs in hemp. As Lupo put it: “Without appropriate validation in hemp and cannabis matrices, methods can become random‑number generators.” Raptor brings a simple, validated, field‑ready answer when it counts.

Want to deploy Raptor across your farm or co‑op? Contact iHemp Michigan for an introduction to Neogen, or visit neogen.com and search “Raptor THC hemp.” We’ll also have hands‑on demos at Southern Hemp Expo (Raleigh) and the West Michigan Cannabis & Hemp Expo (Grand Rapids).