Oklahoma Cannabis Testing Lab Loses License

State authorities in Oklahoma have revoked the license of a medical cannabis testing lab on the grounds of public health and safety.

According to KFOR, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) submitted an application to revoke the license of Nationwide Engineering and Testing last month. The lab, which is based in Oklahoma City, had previously been issued a “stop work” order by the state Fire Marshal in December.

“An Administrative Law Judge has ruled that Nationwide Engineering & Testing, LLC, is not in compliance with Oklahoma laws and regulations,” the OMMA wrote on Twitter. “Respondent’s license is currently revoked as an emergency measure pursuant to the Order entered April 12, 2021.”

The complaint from the OMMA also alleges that the lab did not have the capability to test for heavy metals and improperly stored cannabis samples.

A Nationwide Engineering and Testing spokesperson told Marijuana Business Daily that the company is fighting the ruling.

Testing in Oklahoma

Oklahoma began requiring medical cannabis testing last summer. From July 1, all marijuana products sold by a grower or processor to a medical dispensary must have first been tested by a lab authorized by the OMMA.

As of April 19, 2021, there are now 22 such licensed cannabis testing labs in the state, according to the OMMA website.

All lab tests should result in a certificate of analysis, say the OMMA, which detail the products’ levels of THC, CBD, terpenes, and microbial and heavy metal contaminants.

The new testing rule was initially meant to take effect on April 1, but delays were made amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Oklahoma’s medical cannabis program launched in October 2018, and currently generates nearly $10 million a month in state tax revenue, according to the state’s Tax Commission.