Rhode Island cannabis pesticide testing to begin at end of June

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All cannabis grown by licensed cultivators in Rhode Island must be tested for pesticides starting at the end of the month.

According to Providence Business First, marijuana growers and testing labs have been notified that mandatory testing begins June 30.

In May, Rhode Island became the 19th state to legalize adult-use marijuana when Democratic Gov. Dan McKee signed into law a bill passed by lawmakers.

The law sets up 33 marijuana retail stores across the state, including nine dispensaries that can sell both medical and recreational cannabis products.

Existing medical marijuana operators will be able to obtain the hybrid licenses on Dec. 1, so sales are expected to begin then.

That is, if the four independent cannabis testing labs licensed by the state’s health department can handle the volume coming from the 67 licensed cultivators.

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Those labs are:

  • East Coast Labs in Providence.
  • Green Peaks Analytical in Warwick.
  • Cannalytics RI in West Warwick.
  • PureVita Labs in West Warwick.