Connecticut Greenlights New Medical Marijuana Testing Regulation
Connecticut lawmakers approved a set of new medical marijuana testing regulations Tuesday, which were proposed earlier this year, reported Cannabis Business Times. Under the new rules, the limit on levels of mold and yeast would be set to 100,000 colony forming units per gram, and zero traceable levels of Aspergillus – a breed of mold known to cause lung infections.
The changes followed the demand from AltaSci Labs last year to increase its limits to 1 million colony forming units per gram, compared to the previous limit of 10,000 units per gram. Patients complained of wanting to maintain the 10,000 units per gram limit. The other medical cannabis lab in the state, Northeast Laboratories kept that limit.
This means, that one lab will be able to raise the limit, while the other has to lower it.
Some industry experts are concerned with the new rules.
Mike Esposito, a scientist at Massachusetts-based MCR Labs, told the CT Mirror that newly-approved regulations could allow harmful substances to enter medical marijuana products, and potentially cause lung damage not only to consumers but also to employees who cultivate and produce the products.
A patient advocate, Lou Rinaldi stressed another problem – some patients have mold allergies.
Lawmakers responded that they may tackle some of the issues in the next legislative session.
