Congratulations to Alliance member Pharmlabs Hawaii!
Today, the Department of Health announced that it has granted independent, private laboratory Pharmlabs Hawaii a provisional certification to test cannabis and manufactured cannabis from licensed medical cannabis dispensaries, and registered patients and caregivers. Maui-based Pharmlabs Hawaii is the second laboratory to receive DOH approval for medical cannabis testing.
“With a certified laboratory now on Maui, dispensaries will no longer have to transport cannabis samples to O‘ahu for testing, which could potentially reduce costs and allow for faster approval time,” said Wanda Chang, DOH environmental health analytic services branch chief. “Dispensaries also now have a choice of laboratories for testing cannabis plant material.”
Under interim administrative rules governing the medical cannabis dispensary program, certification allows a laboratory to conduct specific tests required to ensure the safety of products sold to registered patients in Hawai‘i. To receive certification, a laboratory must submit validation studies to demonstrate it is capable of conducting testing with consistent and accurate results for the following areas: cannabinoid profile, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); compounds that are considered active ingredients; heavy metals such as arsenic, pesticides, solvents, moisture content, microbial contaminants, intestinal bacteria and pathogens; dangerous molds that can cause infection and disease; and toxins produced by molds. In addition, a laboratory must meet the accreditation standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
It is the Alliance’s mission to provide up-to-date and relevant industry information to the patients, dispensary applicants, and related businesses of Hawai‘i’s growing medicinal cannabis industry. If you are not yet an Alliance member, join today to take an active role in the future of Hawai‘i’s medical marijuana industry and receive the HDA Cannabis Insider: Hawai‘i’s Cannabis Industry Journal bimonthly. Contact us today and we will send you the Winter 2017 edition of the Cannabis Insider absolutely free, just to say thank you for your interest!