Arizona Dispensaries Will Be Required to Test All Medical Marijuana

On November 1, 2020, mandatory testing of all medical marijuana sold at Arizona dispensaries begins.

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) will oversee Senate Bill 1494, which requires the new testing rules.

The ADHS’s Office of Laboratory Licensing and Certification noted that third-party cannabis testing labs in Arizona will need sophisticated equipment to test the multiple forms of medical marijuana products available on the market. The labs will also need to determine how to cope with the impending influx in volume.

Arizona will likely follow in the footsteps of Oregon because of its strict marijuana testing regulations, which include an extensive list of banned pesticides.

It is expected that the ADHS will ban approximately 18 residual and toxic substances from cannabis sold in Arizona. Heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and mercury are expected to be banned.

Until now, Arizona has been one of the only states in the country with a medical marijuana program that didn’t require testing.