Colorado cannabis firm's testing experiment yields damning results

More than 85% of regulated marijuana products sold in Colorado’s adult-use market might violate health and labeling laws, according to a recent report by one of the state’s cannabis operators.Frustrated by the apparent reluctance of the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) to test state-regulated cannabis products and punish those found to be breaking the law, Justin Singer, CEO of manufacturer Ripple, asked his staffers to visit Denver-area MJ retailers on Nov.

12 and purchase the flower, shake and pre-rolls brands “they would normally purchase.” ADVERTISEMENT The company then sent unmarked, unadulterated samples – bud, pre-rolls and shake – to a state-regulated cannabis laboratory to have the products tested for potency, yeast and mold, pesticides and microbial contamination.According to the lab results, only two of the 15 products purchased at Denver-area retailers complied with state regulations, and some were found to have dangerous levels of contaminants.

Out of 15 cannabis products purchased for the study, 12 (or 80%) reported THC content outside the 15% variance allowed under Colorado law.“This was worse than I expected,” Singer told MJBizDaily.

“I thought a third of the products were going to fail, and I thought that was going to be bad enough to raise a ruckus.” Singer first realized there was a problem with the state’s potency testing system about a year ago, when Ripple sent samples to three labs and found “everybody was out of band” in terms of results.“That really set us off,” Singer said after sharing the self-funded study with MJBizDaily.

The study was first reported by CPR News.Elizabeth Kosar, a MED spokesperson, told MJBizDaily via email that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Laboratory Services Division is responsible for auditing licensed marijuana testing facilities.

“The Division takes a deliberate, science-informed a...