At Cansford Labs, we believe better decisions come from better evidence. From September 2025, we are introducing the Extended 18 panel (E-18), offering twice the substance coverage of our Common 9 (C-9) at no extra cost, and with the same three-working-day turnaround.
The Extended 18 uses hair strand samples to cover everything in the Common 9 – including cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, opiates and ketamine – plus a broader range including hypnotic sedatives, hallucinogenics and other prescription medications. This ensures less predictable or resurgent drugs do not slip through the cracks. View the full list of analytes here: https://blog.cansfordlabs.co.uk/hubfs/2025/Extended%2018%20panel/Drug%20panel%20analytes.pdf
The C-9 panel has long been a trusted standard, but it cannot always reflect the breadth of substances in circulation today. The UK drug market is evolving rapidly, with usage patterns shifting and certain substances growing in popularity year on year. Testing for only nine drug groups risks leaving blind spots; by expanding our scope, the E-18 panel closes this gap and gives our clients the confidence that important drug groups are not being missed.
This development is designed with our clients in mind: social workers and family lawyers making life-changing decisions, employers committed to safe workplaces, and governing bodies who must uphold compliance and trust. With the Extended 18, everyone can gain a significantly broader and more detailed picture of drug use – with no added cost, and no added time.
We believe this marks a turning point. By offering a higher standard of testing as standard, we are ensuring that important decisions are based on the clearest evidence available. At Cansford Labs, our mission has always been to make testing more accessible, more reliable, and more insightful. The launch of the E-18 panel is the latest step in that journey.