Cannabis Companies Urge Updates to Testing Requirements
The Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition, along with other industry representatives, is calling for the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) to update the state’s testing protocols and guidelines to make them more standardized and consistent with the latest scientific data. The current protocols were last updated in 2021, while other states like Colorado and New York have made multiple updates since then.
Ryan Dominguez, executive director of the Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition, emphasized the need for real changes to the testing program, particularly if marijuana is rescheduled from a Schedule I substance to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. Dominguez urged the CCC to go beyond the legislative mandate and update regulations surrounding testing more frequently.
Megan Dobro, co-founder and CEO of SafeTiva Labs, agreed, citing the need for clear standards for testing, meaningful oversight, and incentives for cultivators to submit representative samples. Dobro also emphasized the importance of scientific integrity and the need for consumers to trust the numbers on product labels.
Other industry representatives, including Dawn Duncan of the Sun Grown Cannabis Alliance, called for the CCC to establish more standardized testing methods and to account for natural contaminants found in outdoor cannabis cultivation. Ryan Picard of Analytics Labs urged the CCC to establish uniform minimum standards for testing, sampling, and quality control to ensure comparable products are tested in comparable ways.
The CCC has recently released the results of an audit of THC potency in cannabis flower products, which found that most samples fell within an acceptable range. However, 13 of the 63 samples fell outside of that range, and the CCC has placed noncompliant products on hold. The agency has also established a new “Testing and Analysis” webpage and an ongoing internal testing task force to focus on testing issues.
Industry representatives also called for labels to include more information, such as a full cannabinoid profile, terpenes, and THC levels, to provide consumers with a better understanding of the products they are purchasing. Payton Shubrick, CEO and founder of 6 Brick’s, emphasized the importance of not building an industry on a single data point with limited confidence.
The CCC has acknowledged the need for improved testing and has taken steps to address these concerns. The agency will continue to work with industry representatives to develop more robust testing protocols and ensure a safe and equitable cannabis marketplace in Massachusetts.
