Colorado medical and retail marijuana testing labs licensed by the Marijuana Enforcement Division can no longer accept and test private samples dropped off by patients and caregivers. Legally, they’re only allowed to test marijuana from state-licensed marijuana facilities.
Officials say the move keeps the state out of the federal government’s cross-hairs by maintaining a tight lock on marijuana inventory. But it also punishes home-growing patients who want to know what they are putting in their bodies and prevents objective, third-party tests from being conducted on products currently for sale.
According to the MED, the rule has been in effect since October 15, 2013. But it wasn’t being followed — at least not so strictly that the Denver Post wasn’t able to get independent tests done on edibles as recently as March through Steep Hill-Halent, a MED-licensed lab. DOR officials haven’t admitted that those tests, which showed an embarrassing lack of oversight on behalf of the MED, spurred the sudden enforcement of the rule and announcement of the change. But the timing is curious and brings up another point: Westword (and the Post, as well as any other media outlet) will no longer be able to do our own independent tests at state-verified marijuana labs.
For more, check out the Denver Westword.
