Does cannabis have its romaine lettuce moment?

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At Cannabiz Media we have a unique view of what is happening at the state level and across state lines. One trend we noticed over the last quarter is the increase in product recalls, often associated with test results. The dynamic was reminiscent of the frequent recalls of romaine lettuce in supermarkets that confused customers and had to replace kale in their Caesar salad.

Here is a summary of the recent recalls:

On the plus side, some regulators take their job seriously in keeping the public safe from harm. It signals to patients and stakeholders that this is an important commitment and that non-compliance has consequences.

This hyper-vigilance can be at a disadvantage when the protocol is “Fire, Ready, Aim!” This has happened in two of the above cases. A recall was carried out in Ohio and a month later the products were tested and found to be safe for patients. The November 17th recall in Michigan went to court as the testing lab argues that the screening was made for political reasons.

Neither of these scenarios is good for patients or consumers as they undermine trust in the institutions that should protect them: regulators and testing laboratories.

A recent message in Connecticut was even more of a headache as the two laboratories across the state tested for different concentrations of the same yeast and mold. According to CT Insider, “at the request of AltaSci Labs, the state consumer protection ministry agreed to increase the total number of passing yeasts and molds from 10,000 colony-forming units per gram to 1 million per gram for the laboratory. At Northeast Laboratories, the state’s other cannabis testing facility, the exceedance limit remains at 10,000 CFU per gram. “

With only a small subset of people routinely buying cannabis in several states, patients need to be knowledgeable and vigilant about the protocols in their state. There are standards bodies trying to find out, but with so many jurisdictions with their own programs it will take a long time to resolve this in a consistent way. Perhaps CANNRA can comment on this critical issue.

Regulators will regulate! While we were compiling the above recalls, there were communications from Oregon, Washington, and New Mexico of their efforts to work with stakeholders to resolve this issue – and that’s a big step.

Washington

NOTE ON SUGGESTED RULES – WSR # 22-01-055 The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) is seeking your opinion on the Proposed Rules (CR-102) regarding cannabis quality control testing. This notice and other relevant rule-making materials can be found at lcb.wa.gov/laws/laws-and-rules under Suggested Rules.

Oregon

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission provides the following information to recreational marijuana licensees. The bulletin is part of OLCC’s compliance training. It is important that you read and understand it. If you do not understand, please contact the OLCC for help. Failure to understand and follow the information in this bulletin could result in the loss of your recreational marijuana license. Bulletin CE2021-03 covers the following topics:

• Common mistakes in laboratory sampling
• Common mistakes after completing the test
• Ways to Avoid Sampling and Testing Errors
• What to Look for in Metrc
• Sampling and testing of learning resources

New Mexico

the The Cannabis Control Division of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department will hold a public hearing on Thursday to gather input on new regulations as well as changes to existing regulations regarding the quality control, inspection and testing of cannabis.

We do not see a solution to this problem anytime soon, but we hope that the work of the above regulators, in coordination with the Cannabis Regulators Association, will result in uniform standards, reporting and disclosure. Nobody should have to grapple with a kale and caesar salad.

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Cannacurio is a regular column from Cannabiz Media with insights from the most comprehensive license data platform.