(This story has been updated to note an earlier case that had been filed in federal court but was later withdrawn.)
A medical cannabis patient in Arkansas is suing three medical marijuana cultivators and a lab in the state, alleging products made and tested by the companies had less THC potency than what was advertised.
According to the Arkansas Advocate, growers Bold Team and Osage Creek Cultivation as well as the Steep Hill testing lab were all named in the lawsuit, which was filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court.
The suit alleges there are discrepancies between Steep Hill’s cannabis test results and those from a third-party lab.
The suit also accuses Steep Hill of inflating THC potency results to incentivize companies to hire them.
The Arkansas Advocate reported that Steep Hill’s chief executive denied the allegations in the lawsuit and that the testing lab would seek to have the case tossed out of court.
The Advocate also noted the plaintiff in the case previously filed a class action lawsuit in federal court under a U.S. anti-racketeering statute, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
That suit was withdrawn.
Lack of lab standards, enforcement and the practice of “lab-shopping,” where cultivators seek out lab results with higher potencies, have been problems in several other states.
For example, an October complaint alleged that Jeeter brand pre-rolls had less THC potency than advertised.
