California is developing standardized marijuana tests to remove inconsistencies

By Nina Zdinjak

To deal with cannabis testing problems and laboratory inconsistencies, California is standardizing the process across the state’s approximately 40 active cannabis testing facilities.

What happened

The initiative falls under the new state law – Senate Law 544, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in October, which required the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) to have strict criteria and guidelines for testing a wide variety of microbiological contaminants, pesticides, solvent residues and cannabis compounds, reported Marijuana Business Daily.

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Why it is important – raising quality standards

Cannabis advocates praise the move, saying it will help raise quality and reliability standards in the industry, protect consumers, and minimize false test results.

“This will bring additional consistency and accountability between licensed cannabis testing laboratories,” said DCC spokeswoman Christina Dempsey.

“A standardized method makes it easier for laboratories to identify and fix problems, and it serves as an additional mechanism to ensure integrity.”

So far, the DCC has selected two state laboratories to establish operational procedures that will serve as the blueprint for all of the other cannabis testing laboratories in the Golden State. As part of the initiative, the department will designate a reference laboratory through a partnership with the University of California, San Diego. It will be one of the two state laboratories.

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“DCC expects to use these two labs to improve accountability,” added Dempsey, “through reviewing laboratory results and through initiatives like challenge testing.”

California joins several other states that have standardized cannabis testing practices like New Jersey and New York.

Long way – right way

Jeffrey Raber, an organic chemist who worked in one of the state’s first marijuana testing laboratories, said he trusted the new standardized procedures and cross-validation will help clarify the laboratory results.

“The lab game still needs so much help,” said Raber, CEO of The Werc Shop, who stopped cannabis testing years ago and moved into consulting and formulation development.

“I think we are not quite there yet, but we are on the right track.”

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.