Md. Cannabis Admin. launches first-of-its-kind state reference lab
MARYLAND – The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) has opened the doors to its first-of-its-kind in the nation state reference laboratory. Industry stakeholders say the extra layer of oversight will be a positive for operators and customers.
Extra Layer of Oversight
Before you can purchase cannabis in Maryland – medical or recreational – the product is thoroughly tested by independent labs. Now, the state reference laboratory will be tasked with verifying those results.
“What we’re going to do day-in and day-out there, is not your routine compliance testing. We have registered labs that will do that work, and continue to do that work,” said MCA Senior Advisor, Lori Dodson. “We’re, rather, going to ensure that those labs are standardized in what they’re doing. You see a lot about THC inflation and potential contaminants going undetected. We really want to explore that, dig into that, and move the needle in cannabis science testing.”
Dodson says Maryland’s rapidly-growing cannabis industry can be credited to its high levels of innovation. And, that can be a bit of a blessing and a curse.
“The science can’t quite keep up with the innovation, and the regulations lag way behind the science,” Dodson said. “We’re hoping, with the reference lab, that we bridge some of those gaps between the science, the innovation, and the regulations.”
How the Lab Fits into the Industry
The state reference lab is located in East Baltimore, and staffed with scientists. The MCA will also have a team of boots on the ground researchers tasked with collecting field samples. Those individuals will also inspect independent labs as needed.
Dodson says on-site lab audits will involve a team of investigators taking a close look at the independent labs’ methods and their personnel.
“It’s just a really good regulatory approach to be able to do audits on shelf samples. Or, we’ll go to dispensaries to take products off the shelves and look at things like degradation, or if we’re getting results with variants that we’re comfortable with,” Dodson said. “We kind of have that built in within our system of compliance and regulation, so that our scientists can stay in the lab, and kind of walled off from the rest of the industry.”
“A consistent way”
Industry stakeholders, like CEO of Peninsula Consulting, Anthony Darby, are optimistic about the new state-run lab. “In the early part of the market, in the 2019 era, I did share some concerns, because the labs were testing differently, and it was really tough to understand and decipher the results,” he said.
Darby started up Peninsula Alternative Health in Salisbury. The dispensary was one of the first in Maryland to receive a license from the state’s Medical Cannabis Commission. He says consistency among the independent labs has improved over the years. However, this extra layer of protection brings extra peace of mind, Darby adds.
“Now that the labs have a consistent way of doing things, and there’s continuity there, as operators we know how to interpret the data. And, we feel a lot more confident with the results coming out,” Darby said.
Knowing Your Product
Knowing exactly what’s in the marijuana that customers are consuming, is crucial, says Darby.
“Often, folks came in with medical for the very defined expectation; ‘I’m looking to reduce the anxiety. I’m looking to sleep better.’ And, a lot of times with adult use, ‘I’ve never used cannabis before and I’m looking to see how it’ll make me feel,'” said Darby. “The testing [results] will actually help guide them in understanding what they’re going to do.”
Among the states that allow legal consumption of marijuana, Darby believes Maryland already has some of the strictest testing requirements. For example, the MCA requires a full breakdown of terpenes to be listed on marijuana product packaging. Darby says those terpenes can make or break a customer’s experience.
“Terpenes really guide how the cannabis will affect you,” Darby explained. “And, in a lot of states, that’s not a requirement. So, you’re literally just buying cannabis based on a THC level, which is an impractical way to purchase cannabis if you’re actually trying to have an effect-based process.”
A Unique Journey
The MCA’s state reference lab is embarking on a unique journey. “There is not a state regulatory agency that has sole management and operation capabilities like ours will,” Dodson said.
Dodson believes the duties and responsibilities of scientists at the lab may also change as it becomes more established. She says MCA officials want to ensure that they can keep up with the rapidly expanding industry.
Dodson also thanks the Moore-Miller Administration for helping to speed along the establishment of the state lab. Discussions around creating a lab of this type, Dodson says, began more than six years ago, when the MCA was still the state’s Medical Cannabis Commission.
“It was so difficult along the way to find real estate, and it was hurdle after hurdle,” Dodson said. “With the passing of the Cannabis Reform Act, and the help of the Moore-Miller Administration, we’ve really been able to work at breakneck paces.”
