The largest of Mississippi’s two medical marijuana testing labs, Rapid Analytics, has had its license temporarily suspended while a third party retests medical cannabis products that the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) placed on administrative hold in December.
Located in Natchez, Rapid Analytics conducts approximately 70% of the state’s medical cannabis testing. In a statement on January 4, MSDH outlined a timeline of two to three weeks for returning products to dispensary shelves. The other testing lab, Steep Hill Mississippi in Jackson, is still operational.
Discrepancies in Testing Results
Mike Watkins, Executive Director of the Mississippi Independent Cannabis Association, noted that both labs tested the same cannabis sample; however, Steep Hill’s sample revealed impurities, while Rapid Analytics’ did not. Following a tip, MSDH halted sales of specific medical cannabis products tested by Rapid Analytics on December 21. The source of the tip has not been disclosed.
“I can’t say what’s right and what’s wrong, but I can say from what I hear, the State was worried about the discrepancies and that there was enough build-up to warrant this,” Watkins told the Mississippi Free Press.
Upon the temporary suspension, Rapid Analytics is not retesting the cannabis products, as confirmed by Watkins, who also expressed uncertainty about who is conducting the retesting.
Timeline for Product Approval
MSDH plans to release approved batches of products every Friday until the lab completes its retesting, starting with cannabis flower, which serves as the base for many products, followed by concentrates and infusions.
Although some medical cannabis products remain available on dispensary shelves, the health department encourages patients to contact dispensaries for information on which products are in stock.
“Patient safety is our top priority,” stated Laura Goodson, Director of the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program, in the January 4 MSDH press release. “We are tasked with ensuring that all test results meet regulatory standards and that approved products are available to those in the medical cannabis program.”
Watkins reassured patients that both the health department and Mississippi medical cannabis investors are diligently working to restore product availability. He mentioned that the first batch of retested products is expected to reach shelves by January 12, which will set the pace for the retesting process.
“They want to ensure meticulousness and legal compliance in this process,” Watkins added.
Challenges and Future Developments
Growers must submit their products to at least one of the testing labs for approval before they can be sold in dispensaries. Watkins pointed out the challenge posed by having only two labs, which complicates the verification of testing results.
However, he indicated that three additional labs are in the works to open in Mississippi: Alchemy Analytics in Meridian, Aardwolf-Certus in Jackson County, and Magnolia Tech in Marshall County. Increasing the number of labs is anticipated to drive innovation and competition, thereby benefiting the overall industry.
Watkins emphasized that the Mississippi Independent Cannabis Association is learning from the challenges of retesting and intends to utilize this experience to enhance protocols in the future. He noted that so far, no one has reported illness associated with the state’s medical cannabis products, and there is no definitive evidence proving that the recalled samples are toxic.
“While we can’t change past occurrences, we can focus on addressing these issues moving forward to improve our operations,” he stated.
The Mississippi Free Press reached out to Rapid Analytics for further comment but had not received a response by press time. A request for comment made to the MSDH also went unanswered by the time of publication.
