Oregon eases cannabis testing rules, but is it enough?

Oregon regulators have eased marijuana testing rules that retailers and other industry professionals say held up supply, forced prices upward and drove some businesses to close.

But some industry professionals say the revised rules don’t address the main problem areas.

Among the changes outlined Friday in two pages of revised rules – which are temporary and valid through May 30, 2017 – the Oregon Health Authority said it would permit cannabis businesses to have larger and more varied sample sizes tested at one time, the Bend Bulletin reported. The OHA, which oversees marijuana analysis, made the changes in hopes of lowering testing time and costs.

However, the changes don’t address issues related to testing pesticides, such as chemical levels, which played a significant role in many failed tests and resulted in the supply shortage.

“After talking to many of the clients that I work with, it is very clear that not only do (the revisions) not go far enough, they negatively impact our edibles makers and our processors,” Amy Margolis, a prominent marijuana attorney, told the Portland Business Journal.

Also on Friday, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which oversees Oregon’s adult-use program, said it would process more than 900 applications for recreation businesses submitted by Nov. 30 so that license recipients can operate under regulations that go into effect in 2017.