In April 2023, two cannabis testing laboratories launched a certification program to promote higher standards for cannabis testing laboratories across the country.
On April 4, 2023, SC Labs and ACT Laboratories announced their combined efforts to launch Trust in Testing Certification, a new set of national standards for cannabis testing (1). The motivation for these new quality requirements in testing, the laboratories explain, are to promote quality, trust, and transparency in the legal cannabis industry, especially between license holders and consumers. SC Labs is licensed and accredited in California, Oregon, Colorado, and Michigan, and ACT Laboratories is licensed and accredited in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, and New York (1).
“Today, the burden of identifying high quality compliant labs falls on the operators and brands within each state,” said Jeff Journey, CEO of SC Labs (1). “This leads to decentralized decision making and considerable risk. Through the Trust In Testing Certification, brands now have a way of identifying labs that are meeting the highest threshold standards across states. It also allows brands to unify their own protocols in choosing a testing partner. SC Labs is proud to be partnering with ACT Laboratories at the forefront of the movement to create safer cannabis through a more reliable cannabis testing landscape in the US. The Trust In Testing program is a transparent and collaborative process that will give consumers the confidence that they are purchasing high-quality products.”
“ACT Laboratories believes that consumers have the right to know what is in their cannabis,” said Michael Drozd, CEO of ACT Laboratories (1). “This is a pervasive problem stretching across the entire country. The risk of testing result inaccuracy is greater than ever for cannabis brands hoping to deliver safe and reliable products to their customers as allegations of testing fraud are rampant across the country. Poor quality testing data can adversely impact brand reputation, resulting in loss of business, hefty fines, or, in some cases, licenses being revoked. And worst of all, it erodes customer confidence, has a negative financial impact, and presents a potential consumer safety risk.”
According to the press release, to create the Trust in Testing Certification, the two laboratories evaluated current regulatory standards in states with legalized cannabis and combined the best standards to ensure compliance and reliable test results (1). “This includes more frequent and regular proficiency testing, use of state-of-the-art quality management systems, and internal employee ethics and training programs, among other requirements,” the press release explained (1).
Questions such as how compliance is monitored, how laboratories can join, how brands can use the Trust in Testing seal on their packaging, and what SOPs are required are addressed on the
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