Oregon’s Cannabis Regulator Adds a “Second Lab” Rule to Combat Lab Shopping

Cannabis regulators in Oregon have added a new rule to combat the issue of lab shopping.

Cannabis companies in Oregon now face the possibility that their product samples may be sent to a second lab of the regulator’s choosing, so the product’s contents can be verified.

The new rule was approved by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) on November 17 and will come into effect on January 1, 2023.

Lab shopping is a growing issue within the legal cannabis industry. Products with higher THC levels are often considered more desirable by consumers, so some cannabis companies are known to “shop” their products around different labs until one returns results with high enough THC levels.

“There’s a lot of voices that don’t want THC to be the sole factor and the skewed THC is something the consumer fixates on and it’s not fair,” OLCC Commissioner Matt Maletis said in a statement.

The OLCC’s new second-lab rule mirrors another recent effort by Pennsylvania’s cannabis regulator. In that state’s medical cannabis system, cannabis producers are now required to have their marijuana material tested by two different labs. The first test should be carried out around the time of harvest; the second, after the cannabis has been processed into a sellable product.