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THC gummies may be safer now in MN
The content of cannabis products in Minnesota should be safer now than a couple of months ago because of new testing rules. Most businesses making hemp-derived THC products have to do a lot more testing. But we heard from a lab owner and a manufacturer who say people who use cannabis still can’t consistently know the quality.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The content of cannabis products in Minnesota should be safer now than a couple of months ago because of new testing rules.
Most businesses making hemp-derived THC products have to do a lot more testing. But a lab owner and a manufacturer said people who use cannabis still can’t consistently know the quality.
Before a batch of Nothing But Hemp gummies hits store shelves, a sample travels to Florida for lab testing. A recent batch of sweets came in just under the 5 mg maximum THC potency.
They’re called Agent Orange, but the lab ensures they won’t cause any health problems — no poisons, heavy metals, or residual chemicals from the distilling process.
Before Gov. Tim Walz signed the recreational cannabis law five weeks ago, hemp-derived testing was less rigorous and less frequent. A FOX 9 investigation revealed some products had way more THC than allowed. Now, every batch of THC product has to go through lab testing.
"Before it was kind of the Wild Wild West where you could just kind of spot test," said Nothing but Hemp CEO Steven Brown. "(The new rules make it) a lot more expensive, but that’s okay. The consumers need to be safe."
Brown’s happy about the testing requirements, but Minnesota currently has very few labs. He sends his products to a DEA-certified lab in Florida. But he worries about inconsistency between labs across the country because each uses different instruments and techniques.
"I’ve actually sent in the same exact batch to three different labs and got three different results," Brown said.
The state Office of Cannabis Management will be in charge of regulating labs and the businesses using them.
Parker Smith owns an Ilios Solutions testing facility in Massachusetts, and he’s preparing to open one in Eden Prairie. He’s hoping the state leans on scientists to create universal regulations on testing methods and equipment.
"I think you need to bring expertise in to make sure that the laws and regulations are there to help the businesses grow as much as possible while also providing a safe product," Smith said.
State officials tell FOX 9 the rule-making process is still in preliminary stages and is expected to take several months.