Oklahoma Cannabis Testing Labs
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Does Oklahoma License Independent Cannabis Testing Labs?
Yes. Oklahoma grants licenses to independent laboratories to carry out marijuana testing in their facilities. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) is in charge of issuing licenses to cannabis testing laboratories in the state. They are also in charge of regulating the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Program. Only medical marijuana is tested in licensed cannabis testing facilities in Oklahoma because recreational marijuana is illegal in Oklahoma.
Requirements for Marijuana Testing Labs in Oklahoma
When seeking the approval of the OMMA, a cannabis testing laboratory in Oklahoma will be required to obtain an ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from any of the following to legally run a cannabis testing facility:
- American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA)
- ANSI/ASQ/American National Accreditation Board (ANAB)
- Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation (PJLA)
- Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation (COLA)
- International Accreditation Service (IAS)
An ISO accreditation denotes the high quality and standard of the awardee’s operations and products. Cannabis test licensees in Oklahoma must also fulfill other requirements before they can legally operate marijuana testing facilities in the state. A licensed laboratory in Oklahoma must:
- Employ a medical laboratory director that has obtained a bachelor's degree in the chemical, environmental, biological, physical, or engineering science, with at least 24 college semester credit hours in chemistry and at least 2 years of experience in the environmental analysis of representative inorganic and organic analyte for which the laboratory will be performing. A master's degree or doctoral degree in one of the above disciplines may be substituted for 1 year of experience
- Have a medical director responsible for the development of, and adherence to, all pre-analytic, analytic, and post-analytic procedures and the implementation of a quality system that assures a reliable test result and regulatory compliance
- Employ an analyst possessing a bachelor's degree applicable to a laboratory testing environment with a minimum of 2 years of experience or an associate's degree and 5 years of applicable experience
- Employ ancillary personnel with a high school diploma or its equivalent
- Notify the OMMA within 7 business days of changing its director
Oklahoma Required Tests for Cannabis Products
The following are the required tests for marijuana products in Oklahoma:
- Foreign material and filth
- Heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury testing is mandatory)
- Microbials
- Mycotoxins
- Pesticides
- Residual solvents and chemical residue
- Terpenes
- THC potency
- Water activity and moisture content
How Do Oklahoma Marijuana Testing Labs Submit and Report Test Results?
Laboratories will report test results on Certificates of Analysis (COAs) into the state's inventory tracking system (METRC). Testing of analytes carried out by a state-licensed laboratory within the scope of its testing accreditation shall be reported here as well. In Oklahoma, growers, processors, and dispensaries shall obtain any or all copies of (COAs) from marijuana testing laboratories pertaining to samples they submit for testing. Laboratories are required to send copies of COAs within 2 business days after technical and administrative reviews of analyses have been completed. Growers and processors must report failed test results to the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority with copies of COAs.
A test can be outsourced to another licensed laboratory but the initial laboratory must report the test result in COAs and identify that a second laboratory conducted the test. Laboratories must maintain records of test results for at least 7 years and provide them upon request.
How Much Does It Cost to Test Cannabis in Oklahoma?
The cost of required cannabis tests in Oklahoma are unpublicized. Licensed marijuana dispensaries, growers, and processors can call or visit cannabis testing laboratories in Oklahoma to inquire about the costs of their tests. They can also reach out to these testing facilities through the email addresses provided on their websites.
What Happens to Cannabis Products That Fail Lab Tests in Oklahoma?
In Oklahoma, if a cannabis batch fails testing, it can be retested, decontaminated, remediated, or destroyed based on the type of test undergone. A grower or processor can request for a retest but with the permission of the OMMA. The Authority may report to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture all test results of samples that failed pesticide testing. If a batch fails pesticide testing, the batch may not be remediated or decontaminated. The batch must be disposed in accordance with the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Waste Management Act within 90 days of the first test.
List of Cannabis Testing Labs in Oklahoma
Oklahoma permits these licensed cannabis testing facilities to operate in the state.