20% California cannabis products fail lab tests

California has legalized cannabis on January 1, 2018. Among the new regulations introduced were the requirement for all products to be tested in a laboratory before being put on sale, and numerous standards for packaging. The government had given companies 6 months to comply.

Since July 1, the 31 licensed laboratories have tested 10695 product samples. Of these, 1904 did not meet the standards imposed by the Bureau de Contrôle du Cannabis.

The main reason for refusal, however, was neither the presence of pesticides nor mold, but a problem with the packaging, most often «inaccurate claims on the product label», the advertised content in cannabinoids being different from the content tested. Errors can also relate to product origin, therapeutic claims or advertised health effects.

Unless the product is flowers, growers or retailers can't re-label it with the right information and have to destroy it. This has prompted grower collectives such as the California Growers Association to ask for a less strict adaptation of the law.

However, for the State of California, the strict program surrounding these new standards does what it has to do: identify flowers, concentrates, edibles and other products not suitable for consumption.

«Mandatory statewide testing is new and will take time to get right, but overall we're pleased with the progress,» said Bureau of Cannabis Control spokesman Alex Traverso.

Mislabeling concerned 65% of products (1279). The rule is as follows: the advertised dosages must be tested with a margin of error of 10%, whether for flowers or edibles. 400 samples had pesticide levels above the imposed limits, and 114 tested positive for mold.