West Virginia Cannabis Testing Labs
Related Pages:
West Virginia Drug Testing Laws >
Does West Virginia License Independent Cannabis Testing Labs?
Yes. A bill to amend the Code of West Virginia, Senate Bill 386, created the state's Medical Cannabis Act and authorized the licensure of testing laboratories. Generally, marijuana testing labs screen cannabis products for quality and potency before they are sold. The Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC) accepts applications for medical cannabis testing laboratories from eligible businesses in West Virginia.
Requirements for Marijuana Testing Labs in West Virginia
No cannabis testing laboratory may collect or conduct tests on samples of marijuana from a licensed marijuana grower or processor in West Virginia without meeting certain requirements. As stipulated in 64CSR111, these requirements include the following:
- Hiring at least one qualified director to supervise the collection, handline, and testing operations of the lab
- Having standard operating and procedures approved by the body that issued them a certificate of accreditation
- Maintaining and implementing a quality assurance program that must comply with Section 13 of 64CSR111 and proper standards of accuracy
- Keeping a list of accredited tests the laboratory is capable of conducting
- Maintaining a copy of the most recent valid certificate of accreditation issued by an ILAC MRA-recognized accreditation body
West Virginia Required Tests for Cannabis Products
At a minimum, any approved cannabis testing laboratory in West Virginia must be able to test marijuana samples for the following:
- Solvents
- Microbiological contaminants
- Pesticides
- THC and CBD concentration
- Moisture content and water activity
How Do Virginia Marijuana Testing Labs Submit and Report Test Results?
In West Virginia, the results of tests conducted on process lots samples requested by a grower/processor and harvest batch samples or harvest lot samples requested by a grower/processor must be submitted electronically. The electronic tracking system used for the reporting must be accessible to the grower or processor whose cannabis samples were tested and to the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health. The electronic tracking system, in this instance, is any seed-to-sale tracking system prescribed by the Bureau. At the grower’s or processor’s request, a cannabis laboratory can issue them a certificate of analysis (COA), including the supporting data, for each process lot, harvest lot, or harvest batch.
How Much Does It Cost to Test Cannabis in West Virginia?
No official price is set for cannabis testing in West Virginia. A licensed processor and grower should contact a testing lab to confirm the current cost of testing cannabis in the state and the applicable terms and conditions.
What Happens to Cannabis Products That Fail Lab Tests in West Virginia?
An approved marijuana testing laboratory in West Virginia may retest a sample of cannabis that fails any test required upon request from the processor or grower. However, a processor or grower must inform the state's Bureau of Public Health of its intent to retest that sample or test another sample from the same harvest lot, harvest batch, or process lot that failed the initial lab test. If an initially tested sample passes a retest, another licensed lab in the state must test a new sample from the harvest lot, harvest batch, or process lot to confirm the passing test result. However, if the Bureau refuses to accept the result of a test, the lab must dispose of the sample as stipulated in 64CSR110.22.
List of Cannabis Testing Labs in West Virginia
Currently, only the following cannabis testing laboratories have been licensed in West Virginia:
- Analabs Inc. of Crab Orchard
- The Department of Health and Human Resources Environmental and Medical Cannabis Laboratory, Elkeview