CCV Research is a management group specializing in innovative development as applied to the cannabis industry. A week ago, CCV Research announced their intent to help the Ohio Public Institute of Higher Education (OPIHE) successfully acquire a certificate of operation as a medical cannabis testing lab. As Ohio sets up their medical cannabis program, they are taking notes on the successes and failures of other state’s programs.
“It was important that we advise the executive team that lab licensure is not a mechanism for a private company to partner with the college to beat out other companies,” stated Dr. Jonathan Cachat, President and CEO of CCV Research. “In turn, the executive team disclosed a vision for a long-term plan to develop a robust lab technician program across multiple disciplines. They indicated that the cannabis test lab is just a part of the overall workforce development program.”
One concern is the common practice of ‘lab shopping’. By ‘lab shopping’ we’re referring to the practice of boosting potency results and pushing through a product that would otherwise fail solvents/pesticides/etc. for higher paying clients. There are other very prominent benefits to a public entity operating as a medical cannabis testing lab.
“For all the flack state regulators have been getting during the rulemaking process, Ohio did get this right,” Dr. Cachat explained. “By placing the analytic testing in the hands of public institutes, Ohio has opened the door for significant life-saving medical breakthroughs, deeply needed workforce development opportunities and eliminated the risks of lab-shopping.”
Their entry into the testing lab market has eased the minds of some Ohio cannabis patients. Many business owners have been nervous to enter the market not having a lab in place to test their produce. As such, patients have become worried that once cannabis is legal medicinally they won’t be able to find any to purchase.
“There is still concern about loss of federal funding. However, as a public Ohio college, we feel empowered to support the state and Ohio patients with quality and safety assurance, and obligated to provide education and workforce development opportunities,” stated an unnamed college representative.
The public college is dedicated to the general public health, which is why they’ve entered the necessary market of cannabis testing. With the establishment of the first Ohio testing lab, patients and businesses are feeling at ease that their product will be tested and go to market in time for the legal medical cannabis program in Ohio.
“We are waiting until Sept 5 to formally announce our involvement, to assure support from our community and develop an application that has a high probability of success. We are also aware of a potential capacity problems and are reviewing ways to increase testing capacity by means of satellite lab facilities located across the state in cooperation with other Ohio public institutes of higher education allowed by the law.”