The Cannabis Industry Needs Testing Facilities

The United States Department of Agriculture regulates hemp growth throughout the country. Gearing up for a big year in 2023, the USDA planned to have all hemp testing completed at laboratories certified by the Drug Enforcement Administration; however, this plan has stalled due to inadequate testing capacities of these DEA-certified labs. This requirement is now pushed from going into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2023. The USDA is concerned the lack of testing laboratories will hinder hemp growth on a domestic level in 2023.

The hemp market is not the only cannabis market struggling with testing laboratories. Mississippi currently has only three licensed testing facilities for its medical cannabis program: (1) Steep Hill Mississippi in Flowood; (2) Magnolia Tech Labs LLC in Holly Springs; and (3) Rapid Analytics, LLC in Natchez. For roughly 75 licensed cultivators and processors, all medical cannabis must be tested by one of these three licensed facilities. The lack of testing facilities will likely cause a bottleneck at the distribution stage of Mississippi medical cannabis.

If you are interested in starting a Mississippi medical cannabis testing facility, reach out to HAT Law’s Cannabis Legal Team today.

Julie Mitchell, J.D., L.L.M. 213 Draperton Dr. Ste A Ridgeland, MS 39157 jmitchell@hatlawfirm.com 601-707-4039