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Oregon Update

[newneighbour]

12/14/2016

OHA updates rules to further streamline marijuana testing process

Changes maintain health protections while easing sampling requirements

The Oregon Health Authority has made additional modifications to testing rules for medical and recreational marijuana products that will provide relief for processors and growers while ensuring public health protections for consumers.

The new temporary testing rules update previously adopted temporary rules that took effect Dec. 2. Those rules allowed producers and processors to test fewer marijuana samples in an effort to lower costs and streamline the testing process. But OHA officials found the Dec. 2 temporary rules remained burdensome, and additional changes were needed.

“These new temporary rules continue to achieve our goal for testing, which is ensuring consumers are not exposed to dangerous chemicals in these products, while also helping to quickly get products to the retail market and patients,” said Andre Ourso, manager of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program at OHA. “They do not change what’s required to be tested, nor do they alter, in any way, the list of pesticides that products are to be tested for.”

The changes are effective Dec. 15 and are valid until May 30, 2017.

Highlights of the temporary rules:

Batch requirements

• Cannabinoid products must be separated into process lots of not larger than 35,000 unit batches, up from 1,000 unit batches.

Sampling and sample size, and control study

• Samples from batches of usable marijuana of the same strain may be combined for purposes of testing potency, regardless of the combined total weight of the multiple batches.

• The sample increments required to be collected for cannabinoid concentrates, extracts and products depending on the process lot size have been amended. They can be viewed in Exhibit B, Tables 5 and 6, of theOregon Medical Marijuana Rules.

• The sample increments required to be collected for cannabinoid concentrates, extracts, and products that have successfully passed a control study have been amended and can be found in Exhibit B, Tables 7 and 8, of theOregon Medical Marijuana Rules.

Marijuana test result reporting

• Laboratories have until Jan. 31, 2017, to report certain quality control information on test report results.

An updated full summary of the temporary testing rules is available inBulletin 2016-30.

For more information,visit the OMMP website. Additional information about marijuana testing is availableon the Marijuana Testing Requirements website.