New York recalls cannabis products over unreliable lab results

New York cannabis regulators last week issued a product recall for 55 lots of flower, edibles, prerolls and beverages after a state-licensed testing laboratory provided unreliable results for mold and heavy metals.

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management announced the recall on Thursday – the first issued in 2026 – claiming in a news release that Keystone State Testing New York issued inaccurate certificates of analysis.

“As such, some of these products are considered adulterated while testing results from other products remain in doubt; both issues pose a potential risk to consumer health and safety,” OCM said in a release. 

The recall affects a range of products from nearly two dozen companies.

New York cannabis recall affects prominent brands

According to OCM, inspections and a records audit conducted between December 2025 and January 2026 revealed significant reporting failures.

Regulators found that 54 product lots were falsely reported as passing tests for the disease-causing mold Aspergillus when they did not meet state safety standards.

An additional product lot was found to have an incorrectly reported result for the heavy metal cadmium, OCM said.

“When test results are inaccurate or unclear, product safety and in turn the safety of New York state consumers cannot be guaranteed,” Stephen Geskey, OCM executive deputy director of licensing, compliance and laboratories, said in a statement.

“It is not a risk OCM is willing to take.”

The recall impacts products from New York brands including MFNY, Nanticoke Hemp and Veterans Holdings.

Cannabis lab testing concerns return

Last week’s recall represents the first issued under new OCM Acting Executive Director John Kagia, whom Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed to lead the agency on Thursday.

Kagia took over after a predecessor, Felicia Reid, stepped down in December after a major investigation into a processor for alleged inversion collapsed.

But before OCM brought charges against Omnium Health, the agency took action against a testing lab for alleged malfeasance

Lexachrom Labs shut down in June and later surrendered its permit following a state audit that led to one of the $1.7 billion market’s biggest product recalls.

In official documents, OCM accused Lexachrom of falsifying results – a practice known in the industry as “dry-labbing.”