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Oklahoma to Begin Testing All Medical Cannabis

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]S[/dropcap]tarting on April 1, dispensaries in Oklahoma will only be legally allowed to carry medical cannabis products that have been tested by an officially licensed lab.

According to Tulsa World, all products need to be tested by facilities  that are approved by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA). This was made mandatory by a law that went into effect Nov. 1, 2019. This law created new rules and guidelines for the industry. However, there was a grace period from then until April 1 to allow dispensaries to get up to speed and begin testing.

As of now, 10 testing facilities in the state are licensed with the OMMA and are able to test cannabis. In order to be licensed, testing facilities are inspected by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. For more info on licensed testing facilities, you can visit omma.ok.gov.

The cannabis in question will be tested for level of THC potency, terpene profile, pesticides, heavy metals and contaminants. That way, there will be a clear record of the properties and strength of each plant, as well as whether or not it is safe for consumption or if any issues that are detected.

While a system like this is generally considered good for business, there is one major concern— there are currently 8,000 licensed growers and processors in the state. Since there are current only 10 facilities, that means each one would have to work with 720 businesses in order to keep things compliant.

In fact, the Oklahoma cannabis industry has grown considerably since medical cannabis was legalized. In 2019, Oklahoma was the state with the highest number of new business licenses issued. Since medical cannabis was first legalized, sales numbers have continued to grow and the industry has really taken off. However, in order for the state’s industry to continue to be properly regulated, more testing facilities are necessary.

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