Portland, Oregon testing lab Lightscale Labs recently announced that they are up and running for pesticide testing.
This makes them one of the few accredited Oregon laboratories offering the full suite of compliance testing on medical and recreational products. The following screenshot from the Oregon Health Authority displays the current cannabis testing lab requirements for Oregon state cannabis product. For further information regarding what happens in the event of a failed test or reanalysis follow this link to their website.
“Pesticide testing is a critical component of making cannabis safer for Oregonians,” said Justin Ouellette, CEO of Lightscale Labs. “Cannabis producers and consumers alike have spoken loudly in favor of rigorous safety standards, but achieving those standards is a complex process and it’s meant that lab testing has generally fallen behind the incredible pace of the industry as a whole. We’re now starting to catch up.”
Since the beginning of the Oregon program, the state has been regarded as the most rigid in terms of testing limits. To receive a license to test in the state a cannabis testing lab must be accredited by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). They must also go through the same microscope as labs that test food, water, and soil across the country. These lengthy and rigorous regulations do make it hard for a cannabis testing lab to enter the industry, but at the back end these accreditations can serve to protect the consumer.
Lightscale Labs uses chromatography for all of their testing. A combination of GC-MS, LC-MS, and HPLC are used to test any cannabis products for potency, pesticides, residual solvents, terpene content, moisture content, and/or water activity. They are OLCC licensed, ORELAP accredited, and CTS compliant. And while this is all impressive, Lightscale really shines with the crisp, clear presentation of their results. Information can be easily understood and then shared with customers, patients, and whoever might be interested.
Recently, the OHA considered relaxing certain testing standards. “It’s important to find the right balance,” said Ouellette. “We all want to see the cannabis industry grow healthy and strong, and that means keeping lab testing requirements realistic. We hope Oregon will continue to serve as a model for the rest of the country, prioritizing public safety and evaluating the rules as the industry evolves and our scientific understanding improves.”
