The state of Oklahoma has now began its own testing regime of cannabis since making medical marijuana legal around two years ago.
Oklahoma has picked Demeter Laboratory to represent the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA). The laboratory will make sure other labs are following state rules and regulations. Demeter will also provide secondary testing on products that are submitted to other labs.
Demeter Laboratory won a $10 million contract and will soon begin implementing testing protocols on behalf of the state. The lab was already in existence and testing cannabis products, OMMA said. Now as an independent lab, the authority has said it cannot have a business relationship with growers and processors.
The lab will be able to access cannabis products that are kept in reserve for 90 days at one of the state’s 22 other licensed testing laboratories.
“This is going to open up a whole new quality assurance process for the laboratory work that’s going on in the medical marijuana industry,” stated Kelly Williams, OMMA interim director.
“It’s going to provide a level of oversight for testing protocols and quality that we have not been able to provide without a QA lab. This will help ensure patient safety and testing quality to a degree that we have not been able to do without the QA lab.”
Sales of marijuana have been exploding in the state this year with estimated sales reaching $385 million during the first six month of 2020.
