Pesticide testing now mandatory for all Oregon cannabis

Pesticide testing now mandatory for all Oregon cannabis

Oregon’s social cannabis program released an announcement on Wednesday which declared every batch of licensed cannabis in the market must be tested for pesticides.

Last fall, Oregon-based cannabis businesses experienced delays in lab testing caused by a lack of accredited labs which could serve dispensaries. In response to the shortage of product and public backlash, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) set temporary rules to lower the amount of tested cannabis and speed up production, but those rules expired on August 31.

Fewer than five labs were accredited to test for pesticides, but the number had risen to ten by August. The Oregon Health Authority’s testing rules increased the required amount of tested cannabis in a batch to 50 percent.

Updated testing started immediately after the announcement, including products which were sampled prior to August 30. Due to the short time frame which producers must accommodate with the new regulations, the commission plans on closely watching the industry to spot potential problems associated with the policy change.