Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Pennsylvania took another step toward getting ready to hang the "Open for Business" sign on its Medical Marijuana Program by approving the first two labs that will ensure the medication is safe for patients and correctly labeled.
ACT Laboratories Inc.of Pennsylvania and Keystone State Testing received their approval late last week and are now in the process of setting up their laboratories in Clearfield and Lower Paxton Township, respectively. The approvals are good for two years and can be renewed.
Representatives from both outfits say they expect to have their operations ready by late October or early November to begin testing whenever the first batches of medical marijuana that growers produce are ready.
When that will be is still unknown although state officials anticipate medical marijuana will begin being sold to patients with one or more of 17 serious medical conditions in early 2018.
Health department spokeswoman April Hutcheson said the 12 outfits that were awarded grower/processor permits are still working toward being deemed operational by the department to begin growing plants but none have received that status yet.
But those growers will contract with department-approved labs to ensure "quality control," Hutcheson said.
"They are making sure the product is what it says it is. They are certifying the quality and content of the product that patients are receiving at a dispensary. It's a very important part of the process."
Unlike the cap on grower/processors and dispensary set in the law, there is no limit to the number of labs that can gain state approval to test medical marijuana products.
However, ACT Lab CEO and founder Jeff Nemeth said there aren't too many internationally accredited labs, like his, that test cannabis in this country.
The labs will test the ratios of cannabidiol, or CBD - a non-intoxicating compound - and tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, - that component that causes the high- and make sure they are correctly identified on the label. The temporary health department regulations on labs also requires they test for pesticides, solvents, moisture content, and other substances.
"In Pennsylvania, because this is so medically focused, we want to make sure patients are getting the percentage of THC and CBD that they need and through the labs, we are guaranteeing it is what it says it is," Hutcheson said.
Concerns about accuracy in labeling of these products is what drove Kelly Greenland, owner/operator of Keystone State Testing, into the field of cannabis testing.
She said she has friends "who have really been affected by the medicinal aspect of cannabis." She pointed to a study by Johns Hopkins that shows only 17 percent of 75 medical marijuana products were accurately labeled.
"I want to make sure people like [the ones in her life] are getting quality, correctly labeled medical marijuana that will actually help them," said Greenland, a State College native.
After earning her doctorate in biophysics in 2015, she spent 14 months doing research into the different methods for testing cannabis products and trying out different equipment for performing those tests. Because this remains a federally banned substance, the federal standards for testing such as ones for other prescription drugs receive, is non-existent.
"People who really need this medication are elderly patients with suppressed immune systems or children, who heaven forbid, get the the wrong dosage of something," Greenland said. "I want to help ensure it is done right."
She intends to open her lab in a leased facility on Queen Avenue and start out with six employees. She said she purposely chose to locate it in the Harrisburg area so she can be close to the health department. She plans to open up her laboratory, which will be surrounded by observation windows, to invite in youth to encourage them to enter into science fields.
The other approved lab, ACT Lab, is a Michigan-based corporation that has been developing cannabis testing methods for over five years and currently is one of two labs that hold a license to test cannabis products in Illinois, Nemeth said. It working on getting its approval to test products in Michigan.
"We decided to come to Pennsylvania for the opportunity to help with the program and we like how Pennsylvania and Illinois are set up with the high regulations and standards of quality to make sure the medicine is safe for the patient," he said.
He intends to start out with three full-time employees and two full-time scientists to oversee the operation in a building that it recently purchased in Clearfield.
"I'm very excited," Nemeth said. "I really appreciate how the state has handled the law and how they are rolling it out. It is very encouraging and I hope other states will to Pennsylvania as a role model."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: First two medical marijuana labs to provide 'quality control' approved by health department | PennLive.com
Author: Jan Murphy
Contact: Contact Page - The PA Media Group
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Central PA Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - PennLive.com
ACT Laboratories Inc.of Pennsylvania and Keystone State Testing received their approval late last week and are now in the process of setting up their laboratories in Clearfield and Lower Paxton Township, respectively. The approvals are good for two years and can be renewed.
Representatives from both outfits say they expect to have their operations ready by late October or early November to begin testing whenever the first batches of medical marijuana that growers produce are ready.
When that will be is still unknown although state officials anticipate medical marijuana will begin being sold to patients with one or more of 17 serious medical conditions in early 2018.
Health department spokeswoman April Hutcheson said the 12 outfits that were awarded grower/processor permits are still working toward being deemed operational by the department to begin growing plants but none have received that status yet.
But those growers will contract with department-approved labs to ensure "quality control," Hutcheson said.
"They are making sure the product is what it says it is. They are certifying the quality and content of the product that patients are receiving at a dispensary. It's a very important part of the process."
Unlike the cap on grower/processors and dispensary set in the law, there is no limit to the number of labs that can gain state approval to test medical marijuana products.
However, ACT Lab CEO and founder Jeff Nemeth said there aren't too many internationally accredited labs, like his, that test cannabis in this country.
The labs will test the ratios of cannabidiol, or CBD - a non-intoxicating compound - and tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, - that component that causes the high- and make sure they are correctly identified on the label. The temporary health department regulations on labs also requires they test for pesticides, solvents, moisture content, and other substances.
"In Pennsylvania, because this is so medically focused, we want to make sure patients are getting the percentage of THC and CBD that they need and through the labs, we are guaranteeing it is what it says it is," Hutcheson said.
Concerns about accuracy in labeling of these products is what drove Kelly Greenland, owner/operator of Keystone State Testing, into the field of cannabis testing.
She said she has friends "who have really been affected by the medicinal aspect of cannabis." She pointed to a study by Johns Hopkins that shows only 17 percent of 75 medical marijuana products were accurately labeled.
"I want to make sure people like [the ones in her life] are getting quality, correctly labeled medical marijuana that will actually help them," said Greenland, a State College native.
After earning her doctorate in biophysics in 2015, she spent 14 months doing research into the different methods for testing cannabis products and trying out different equipment for performing those tests. Because this remains a federally banned substance, the federal standards for testing such as ones for other prescription drugs receive, is non-existent.
"People who really need this medication are elderly patients with suppressed immune systems or children, who heaven forbid, get the the wrong dosage of something," Greenland said. "I want to help ensure it is done right."
She intends to open her lab in a leased facility on Queen Avenue and start out with six employees. She said she purposely chose to locate it in the Harrisburg area so she can be close to the health department. She plans to open up her laboratory, which will be surrounded by observation windows, to invite in youth to encourage them to enter into science fields.
The other approved lab, ACT Lab, is a Michigan-based corporation that has been developing cannabis testing methods for over five years and currently is one of two labs that hold a license to test cannabis products in Illinois, Nemeth said. It working on getting its approval to test products in Michigan.
"We decided to come to Pennsylvania for the opportunity to help with the program and we like how Pennsylvania and Illinois are set up with the high regulations and standards of quality to make sure the medicine is safe for the patient," he said.
He intends to start out with three full-time employees and two full-time scientists to oversee the operation in a building that it recently purchased in Clearfield.
"I'm very excited," Nemeth said. "I really appreciate how the state has handled the law and how they are rolling it out. It is very encouraging and I hope other states will to Pennsylvania as a role model."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: First two medical marijuana labs to provide 'quality control' approved by health department | PennLive.com
Author: Jan Murphy
Contact: Contact Page - The PA Media Group
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Central PA Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - PennLive.com
