After a shaky start and fears that their lab-testing program was on the verge of collapse, Oregon’s marijuana science laboratories now say the state’s recreational cannabis supply is safer than any food product on the market.
A handful of labs just got their state-accredited licenses approved from the Oregon Health Authority in October and are up and running with the strictest standards in the industry.
GreenHaus Analytical Labs is among the first accredited to analyze hundreds of pot samples every day. They test samples from each harvest, including oil and concentrates made later, for pesticides, mold and potency.
In terms of edibles, once samples pass and are cooked, the final product is tested to ensure each one doesn’t exceed the 15 milligram THC limit set by the state.
If a sample fails two tests, it can’t be sold, explained Molly Lyons, Lab Director at GreenHaus.
“When we first started testing for the full panel of pesticides, customers were upset about those fails,”Lyons told KGW.com. “I think it helped push them in right direction before stricter laws came to be.”
“If you can’t sell your product, that’s a big motivator to find a new product that is safe and possibly organic so you can pass your test and have your product on the shelf,” Lyons added.
The state’s strict standards provide peace of mind for consumers, knowing that what they’re buying is safe and pure.
“I only wish our food was tested to the highest standards as cannabis.” Lyons said.
Emily Weatherford, a chemist with Green Leaf Labs, said the high testing standards are keeping cannabis users safe.
“I’m thinking about the cancer patient who can’t risk smoking weed that has mold on it because they have a compromised immune system,” she told KATU2.
The most failed test is for pesticides (about 25 – 30 percent), although Oregon’s wet weather also makes for higher probability of mold in outdoor marijuana grows.
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