Marijuana testing has been a growing sector of the medical marijuana industry for years now, and I don’t see that trend slowing down at all. As more and more states approve medical marijuana dispensaries, mandatory testing is becoming more common. I think it’s a good thing, because it helps patients decide what is the best medicine for them. It looks like Oregon is going to require mandatory testing for recently legalized medical marijuana dispensaries, which shouldn’t surprise anyone since it was something the legislature talked about from the start.
A lot of medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon already carry strains that are lab tested. Most of the testing revolves around potency levels right now. As more and more testing labs open in Oregon finding a lab will be a lot easier, which is a big reason that some dispensaries don’t currently carry lab tested meds. It’s only a matter of time before out-of-state labs open franchises in Oregon. I would like to see Oregon-based testing labs open, but only time will tell if that happens.
I have some friends on the rule making committee, so once the rules are finalized around marijuana testing I’ll make sure to post them. Below is an excerpt about the rule making process from The Oregonian:
The new law also includes a requirement for testing marijuana, the latest frontier in states’ evolving approach to regulating cannabis. Twenty states, and Washington, D.C., allow marijuana for medicinal use, but Oregon is among only a handful that will require cannabis testing. Nationally, advocates have lobbied states with medical marijuana laws to mandate lab tests for a range of impurities and even potency, arguing that consumers deserve detailed information about the drug before consuming it.
Among the issues being considered: How often should marijuana be tested and who should perform the tests? Should third-party labs or the dispensaries themselves perform the tests? Should those conducting the tests be required to undergo criminal background checks, similar to the ones required of dispensary owners? What standards should the labs follow? Are any levels of mold, mildew and pesticide acceptable?
Mold and powdery mildew are going to be of special interest to testing laboratories in Oregon due to our wet climate. I have seen many, many harvests that are infested with powdery mildew, and I can’t wait until those are taken off of the market. Smoking mildew is bad for patients, especially those that have ailments that make them particularly susceptible to respiratory problems. Below is a video of a testing laboratory in California for those that have never seen how the process works.
