Louisiana medical cannabis sales will likely be delayed by at least two more months as the program shifts towards a state-sponsored testing lab, the Associated Press reports.
John Davis, President of GB Sciences — the state’s first sanctioned cannabis grower — told reporters that, at this point, patients probably won’t see products hit dispensary shelves until January.
The hangup: regulators tried and failed to find an independent lab willing to take on the job, so now cannabis testing procedures in Louisiana will have to be handled by the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF).
LDAF spokesperson Veronica Mosgrove said the state will test GB Sciences’ first crop for pesticides, contaminants, and heavy metals; the results will take about six weeks. Mosgrove also said regulators won’t stop their search for an independent lab, but that her department would handle Louisiana’s medical cannabis testing requirements, for now, in order to get patients access to the plant as quickly as possible.
“The department is the regulator and if we detect a problem, a third lab can verify our results. If a third lab is identified … LDAF’s lab can spot check that third party lab for quality assurance.” — Veronica Mosgrove, spokesperson for the Lousiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
GB Sciences planted the state’s first cannabis crop in August.