Washington state regulators will finally require pesticide testing of adult-use cannabis products, which nearly all other markets with legal marijuana programs already require.
The state already tests medical marijuana products for pesticides.
The new rules also allow the state’s Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) to test both recreational and medical marijuana products for heavy metals on a random basis or as part of an investigation, the agency said in a news release.
The rules will take effect April 2, 2022, though additional time will be allowed so products already in the system can be sold.
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The release did not address what the additional testing requirements will cost the state’s cannabis companies, a concern many businesses have raised when such a move has been discussed over the years.
Acceptable pesticides are posted on Washington State University’s Pesticide Information Center Online Database.
